THESE ARE FABRICATED DOCUMENTS, MALANJI TELLS COURT
….as he points out discrepancies in the property transactions presented to court by the state witness
Lusaka… Wednesday May 14, 2025 — The printed out statements, including receipts and dates purporting to be my payments towards the purchase of three properties in Silverest Gardens in December, 2020, are fabricated, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji told the Economic and Financial Crimes Court.
Malanji who pointed out the discrepancies in the statements, including duplicated receipts and incorrect dates, said the state witness was allegedly under pressure to fabricate the information to implicate him.
During cross-examination by state prosecutor Gracelia Mulenga yesterday, Malanji countered the allegations that he made the staggering payments of about US$18,000, US$16,000, and US$14,000 towards houses No. 033, No. 269, and No. 270 only upon his return from Turkey, describing them as “total fabrication”.
Asked whether he could confirm that he made those payments on December 31, 2020 upon his return from Turkey according to the property transactions, Malanji vehemently denied the allegations.
“There was no payment which was made towards the property on this date. This is a fabricated date,” Malanji said.
He alleged that the state witness, Francis Chipeta from ZDA, was forced to fabricate the property transactions.
“I came to know that they were under a lot of pressure to fabricate these documents,” he said.
Malanji reminded the court that even his defense lawyers objected to the submission due to the same discrepancies in the receipts and statements, including duplicated receipts and incorrect dates when they were cross-examining the state witness.
This is in a matter in which Malanji, 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.
Cross-examination continues today.
Incorrect dates, incorrect receipts. Which are the correct dates and receipts you thief. Just throw him in jail
There’s also the issue of the vendor of the properties. That is the other leg of the transaction. Has the vendor been in court to testify when they received payment for the properties?