Daddy helped me buy Sinda farm- Tasila
CHAWAMA member of parliament Tasila Lungu says she bought her Sinda farm in Eastern province with the help of her father Edgar Lungu, therefore the State cannot say it was dubiously acquired.
She said Lungu who is former republican president has not been involved in crime or committed a serious offense.
Tasila made the submission before the Economic and Financial Crimes Court after it exercised its discretion to allow her file a defense explaining how she acquired the property.
The Court had set judgement for April 19 in Tasila’s forfeiture case after she failed to file an affidavit opposing the motion by the DPP to have the farm confiscated for having been illegally acquired.
Tasila also failed to show up for hearing of the main matter which was slated in February forcing the Court to set a judgement date as the DPP’s motion was unopposed.
But the law maker pleaded with the Court not to render judgement without giving her an opportunity to be heard.
She asked the EFCC to allow her file an affidavit in opposition out of time, and the application was granted.
In this case the State wants to forfeit Tasila’s farm no. F/2278 in Sinda district which has fish ponds constructed at K13, 950, 378.83 which was way beyond her income.
But in an affidavit of interested party filed in opposition to originating notice of motion Tasila explained that she did not engage in crime to acquire Farm no.F/2278.
She said Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) investigations officer under the Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit, Emmanuel Khondowe has not afforded her sufficient details to enable her understand and meaningfully respond to the allegations of criminal nature.
Tasila said the investigator has not mentioned any analysis of her income and earnings before the period of investigations between June 11, 2015 to August 31, 2021.
“The deponent has not disclosed his qualifications as an expert witness either qualified as an auditor or an accountant; or with any other financial accounting background or expertise ; to enable him to gather financial information, analyze the said financial information and make conclusions deductions or indeed render an opinion as to my income or expenditure or variation thereof in the absence of such qualifications and in the absence of a proper financial audit,”she stated.
Tasila said Khondowe has not demonstrated that he is a qualified person or an expert witness to render his opinion to the court on financial matters.
She stated that the only development on the farm is a servants quarter and an unfinished structure with no roof partially up to window level, and it has not been connected to the power grid.
Tasila claimed the land is bare and has some holes excavated with no drainage or pipes nor any construction whatsoever.
“The bill of quantities is therefore deliberately misleading, untrue and intended to depict developments and values that are intentionally inflated. Any alleged poultry structures or developments on the aforesaid property are in fact made of mud,”she stated.
“I categorically deny and oppose the allegations that the value of the property in issue as at November 2022, was K13,950,378.83, which I verily believe is incorrect and purposely inflated.”
The law maker said Khondowe has failed to mention that her father is a former Head of State hence the reason she is being investigated following the change of government in August 2021 and described the same as malicious.
“I was assisted by my family particularly my father Dr Lungu to purchase and towards which purchase I also contributed as I could from my available financial means, I wish to strongly dispute the deponent’s allegations that it is from proceeds of crime, or proceeds of serious offence or a foreign serious offense,”Tasila explained.
“It is my constitually guaranteed right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and that allowing these proceedings based on mere accusations with no substantial evidence or specifics which attributed guilt associated with the acquisition of the property without prior conviction are breach of my said Constitutional right to be presumed innocent.”
She added that the proceedings are unconstitutional and a violation of her rights to self incrimination, as they seek to elicit information or evidence where there is none tendered by the State ,so as to support allegations of criminal activity associated with her property.
“The said proceedings intend to deprive me of my property with no basis in the absence of cogent evidence is an infringement of my Constitutional right to property. I believe that my Constitutional right to a fair trial must equally be respected and that regard must be had to due process,” said Tasila.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba
Clear admission of guilt.
She illegally went and put a fence around documented government property WITH HELP FROM FAZA who was head of state.
Abuse of office by head of state.
She forfeits this property.
The qweshen is how many more such arrangements occurred?
And if Panji Kaunda had not come out and spoken above how the “Faza” used his influence for her to aquire land set aside as a forestry like Forestry 27, this matter would have been set aside.
We can now see why politicians evaded Forestry 27, after seeing the “Faza” srt aside the law for personal gain.
What is also interesting is why the Zambian Observer is not sharing the story published in News Diggers of the matter between the paper and One Given Lubinda and the Tasila Mwansa mwana wa Lungu?
Not enough gray cells to understand legal reasoning!
Of course justice will not prevail.Just check your HaUPND pockets, they’re stuffed with judges,ECZ, the police etc, the world and his wife knows your game!!
Just a tip of the iceberg.
Finally you have admitted you used your father’s stolen money. In fact all those projects you used to do like sinking boreholes or building classrooms just to make yourself popular so that you can win elections was all from that stolen money.
That is certainly not surprising. The prosecution just needs to determine what kind of assistance it was. Did it involve money? Otherwise any president’s children carry his aura around them so if they turn up in a poor civil servant’s office and say they are looking for a service the public servant will do his best to ensure this happens. Its only psychological. And Lungu would say he had nothing to do with the daughter’s success