Kampyongo’s property worth more than his earnings – ACC
A Senior Investigations officer at the Anti-Corruption Commission has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Court that the value of Stephen Kampyongo’s properties scattered across Lusaka is way above his income.
This is in a matter where Kampyongo, a former minister of home affairs is jointly charged with his wife Wanizya Chirwa a chief planner at the ministry of Lands on eleven counts of possessing properties worth K28,701,500 suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Zangiwe Mulenga told principal resident magistrate Sylvia Munyinya that on February 29, 2022 the Commission received a complaint that Kampyongo and his wife had illegally acquired properties in different parts of Lusaka.
“The details of the complaint is that AVIC International had built flats for Kampyongo in Foxdale. It was further alleged that he was in possession of properties suspected to be proceeds of crime. It was further alleged that Wanziya Chirwa had bought a property in Ibex costing way above her earnings,” Mulenga said.
She narrated that in April 2022, the director general authorised a full scale inquiry into the allegations and the Commission also received information from the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) alleging that Kampyongo and Wanizya had built a house in Eureka and the costs of construction did not meet their income.
Mulenga said she prepared a warrant of access and served them on Ministry of Lands, Patents and Companies Registration Agenca (PACRA), Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA), Various Banks and she went to Eureka and interviewed Jonathan VanBlerk who confirmed having sold property worth US$330,176 to the couple and a part payment of US$1,400 was made.
She said according to records at the ministry of lands Kampyongo has four properties all registered under his name.
“There was a property in Rock view Chalala 24406 a Vacant House, undeveloped land no.59837 in Multi Economic Zone, there was another property in Ibex off Twin Palm Road with an incomplete wall fence and another undeveloped land in forest 27. After I got the printout from Lands, the ACC wrote a letter to Government valuation department so that they could help us with the value of the properties,” she said.
“The Eureka property was valued at K8,600,000, the property in Ibex Hill off Twin Palm road, was valued at K1,600,000, The Rockview property was valued at K815, 000, Multi Economic Zone was valued at K819,000, the property at forest 27 showed that he had exchanged it with Sandra Ngwisha.”
The investigations officer indicated that details obtained from Payroll Management and Establishment Control showed that Kampyongo earned K3,600,000 and those from the National Assembly he got K5,600,000 plus sitting allowances.
“I did my analysis of his earnings versus the properties there was an excess of ZMW2,400,000. The properties were more than the earnings. I then decided to record a warn and caution statement. He remained silent. I decided to arrest him for possession property suspected to be proceeds of crime because of the payment that was made towards the purchase and the development effected on the property,”said Mulenga.
Earlier Humphrey Silupya an assistant director personnel administration at Payroll management and Establishment Control said according to the couple’s payslips between September 2012 and May 2010 Kampyongo got K1,180,823.86 as gross payment and his net payment was K1,314,973.33 while his wife earned K6,211,971.16 as gross payment and her net payment was K3,607,100.92 between April 2010 and December 2022.
During cross examination by Kampyongo’s lawyer Leon Lemba, the witness confirmed that Wanizya was employed in 2005 as a planner in the ministry of Lands and part of her earnings were omitted in his report.
Silupya affirmed that the K1.3 million showing on Chirwa’s payslip does not include other allowances which she accrued neither does the K3 million net payment on Kampyongo’s payslip.
Magistrate Munyinya adjourned the matter to January 12 for the investigations officer’s cross examination.
Kalemba