THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Court to give it permission to forfeit to the State, houses and trucks belonging to businesses man Francis Muchemwa, famously known as Commander II in the political field.
Recently, Mr Muchemwa, who is appearing in the magistrate’s court facing money laundering related allegations, had an active application in which he wants to be allowed to occupy one of the seized houses in question.
But the ACC has moved to the High Court’s Economic and Financial Crimes Court where it has filed a notice of motion seeking to forfeit the embattled businessman’s properties in its custody.
The ACC wants to forfeit the properties because they are tainted because investigations revealed that the value of Mr Muchemwa’s assets is K13, 169,735, while the worth of his legitimate sources was K4, 934,912.
In the court documents, ACC investigations officer Claudia Chibiliti submits in the Economic and Financial Crimes Court that Mr Muchemwa has unexplained or suspected proceeds of crime worth K7.2million.
Ms Chibiliti submits that from the investigations, she established that Mr Muchemwa’s assets outweigh what was realized from legitimate known sources of income.
In an affidavit in support of originating notice of motion for an application for non-conviction based forfeiture order of tainted property, the is the applicant while Mr Muchemwa, Altitude Properties Limited, Friltech Networks Zambia limited and Massbreeds Investments Zambia limited are interested parties.
Documents show that on August 20, 2020, ACC received an unidentified complaint alleging possession of property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime against Mr Muchemwa and others.
Ms Chibiliti said she established that Mr Muchemwa had acquired several immovable and movable properties.
Between July 2020 and December 2021, Mr Muchemwa acquired properties L/26395/M valued at K4.5million and L/26392/M valued at K2.5million, the same assets were valued by the Government Valuation Department.
Ms Chibiliti submits that on June 7, 2022, Government Valuation Department report prized Mr Muchemwa’s house, property number L/26395/M, at K461, 664.
She said in the course of the investigations, she established that Mr Muchemwa, his wife Totiwe and brother Mwila, have shares in Altitude Properties Limited and Friltech Networks.
Documents show that Mr Muchemwa is a director and majority shareholder with 75 shares in Altitude Properties Limited, which also has two FAW trucks worth US$62,000 each.
Further investigations established that between June 1, 2015 and September 10, 2021, Mr Muchemwa worked for Zesco and was entitled to a salary while between June 1, 2015 and August 1, 2021, Mr Muchemwa obtained K483, 761, salary from Zesco and was also paid per diem for trips undertaken out of Lusaka and earned K141, 400.
“From the investigations,I ultimately established that the interested parties’ assets outweigh what they realized from their legitimate known sources of income.
“And I ,therefore, had reasonable suspicion to believe that the interested parties were in possession of properties suspected of being proceeds of crime,” Ms Chibiliti submits.
(Mwebantu)
