An Internal Auditor at the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), Nkombo Chandi, has testified that murdered IBA Director General Guntila Muleya went missing and was later found dead before a scheduled pending meeting to review the Authority’s budget and expenditure with her and Accountant Francis Chipyoka.
Mr. Chipyoka is among four people accused of murdering Mr. Muleya with others being Samuel Dokowe, Mthusani Dokowe, and Caleb Zulu.
Ms. Chandi has told the Lusaka High Court that on June 27, 2024, Mr. Muleya directed all department heads to review their expenditures and work closely with the finance unit, further instructing that no expenditure should be approved until the budget exercise was concluded.
A reminder email was later sent on July 4, 2024, and a meeting was scheduled for July 23, 2024.
She says during that meeting, Mr. Muleya asked her to assist Mr. Chipyoka with the budget process, but he initially declined.
She has added that she last saw Mr. Muleya around 17:45 hours that day when he asked to meet again the following morning. The next day, July 24, 2024, she learned that Mr. Muleya had not reported for work.
Management later announced that he was missing, and government subsequently informed the nation that he had been found dead.
By Darius Choonya
