COMPANIES ASSOCIATED WITH MALANJI HAD CAPACITY TO PURCHASE HELICOPTERS, COURT TOLD
…as original bank statements from FNB and Stanbic Bank reveal that the companies had over USD 5.950 million turnover between 2010 and 2020
Lusaka… Tuesday March 18, 2025
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Court yesterday heard that the companies in which former Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji is one of the directors and shareholders had the capacity to purchase helicopters and other properties.
According to the original bank statements from FNB and Stanbic Bank that were presented at court as part of evidence, Gibson Power Systems and Gibson Royal Hotel, which are one of the companies in which Malanji is a director and shareholder, had over USD 5.950 million turnover between 2010 and 2020.
This is in a matter in which Malanji, 60, is charged of being in possession of property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime, while his co-accused, former Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba is charged with wilful failure to comply with applicable law and procedure relating to procurement of property in Turkey.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Gilbert Phiri was part of the State prosecution team.
Malanji is particularly accused of possessing two helicopters BELL430 and a BELL 206 Jet Ranger, Gibson Royal Hotel and three houses in Lusaka’s Silverest Gardens, suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Testifying in the matter before Lusaka Principal Resident Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga, Malanji who presented the original bank statements from FNB and Stanbic Bank as part of his evidence said it is unfair and misrepresentation of facts by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) to alleged that his companies had no capacity to purchase helicopters when USD 5.950 million turnover between 2010 and 2020 was recorded.
He said contrary to allegations by the DEC Chief Investigations Officer Kwaleyela Mukelabai who did not carry out his investigations properly, his companies had the capacity of buying even two more helicopters as evidenced by the bank statements.
When asked by one of his defence lawyers to react on Mukelabai’s assertions that one of his companies, Gibson Air Charter had no capacity to procure a Bell 430 helicopter and Bell 206 jet range, Malanji said his investigations were just fabricated as it did not add up.
He argued that Mukelabai’s investigations were hastily done without due diligence as he only restricted to activities that his companies carried between January 2020 and December 2020 without considering the previous years that the companies were operating and making savings.
“Investigations were restricted to January 2020 to December 2020 without considering the previous period from which the company was saving for a particular project (purchase of helicopters). An Aircraft is not a vehicle like a Land Cruiser that you just wake up and procure, you need to save for a long time. So, the theory that the investigating team used to come up with such allegations does not add up,” Malanji said.
When further asked how he could demonstrate that his companies had the capacity to purchase the helicopters, Malanji said “we have bank statements from FNB and Stanbic Bank”.
“Gibson Power Systems, turnover from two banks is about USD 5.950 million from 2010 to 2020, and the bank statements are in the bundle of documents submitted to this court. This contains document statements from the bank in which all the loans and facilities that we got as Gibson Power Systems and Gibson Royal Hotel can be traced from,” Malanji testified.
Quoting the FNB statement, Malanji explained that between 2010 and November 2020, Gibson Power Systems and Gibson Royal Hotel had a turnover of USD 3.475 million.
He further explained that the documents from Stanbic Bank revealed that Gibson Power Systems had had a turnover of USD 2.475 million between 2017 and 2020, clearly demonstrating that the company had the capacity to purchase the helicopters.
“These statements are clearly in the submission by the prosecution in this court. So your honour, Gibson Power Systems and Gibson Royal Hotel made a decision to spend USD 1.4 million to purchase a Bell 430 helicopter. So when the investigations officer came to this court, it was unfair to restrict the investigations to January 2020 and December 2020 without considering resources that had earlier been realised in our business,” he said.
He added: “The other document is a statement from FNB in which all the loans and facilities that we got as Gibson Power Systems and Gibson Royal Hotel can be traced from. This is a Pan African Bank and figures don’t line. The companies were not dormant, there were a lot of activities which were done to improve the amounts that were obtained from the bank.”
“And at some point, the investigator came here and just casually said they couldn’t even pay the loan because they had no capacity. How I wish, serious investigation was put in place to see where the point of contention came from to challenge the bank.”
Malanji also told the court that a BELL 206 Jet Ranger was purchased at about USD 700,000, and that the funds came from Gibson Power Systems.
However, Malanji denied the allegations that he personally owned and was in possession of Bell 206 Jet Ranger between January 2020 and 2021.
“My residence in Roma Park is 150 by 50 metres and has no helipad. Both the Bell 430 and Bell 206 Jet Ranger in question are properties of Gibson Air Charter, a company where I am just one of the directors and shareholders. I have never owned a helicopter as Joseph Malanji, nor have I been found with helicopters in my possession on any of my premises,” Malanji said.
Proceedings continue today March 18, 2025.