The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has officially handed over recovered proceeds of crime amounting to K65, 330,000 to the state through the Ministry of Finance and National Planning.
The Joint Investigative Team from the Anti-Corruption Commission, Zambia Police Service, Drug Enforcement Commission and Financial Intelligence Centre late last year concluded investigations involving Margaret Chisela Musonda, also called Faith Musonda in which she was found in possession of ZMW 65, 333, 046 and US$ 57, 900 which was discovered in a house in New Kasama.
ACC said at the time that the commission will not institute criminal proceedings against Ms. Musonda because Ms. Musonda has made a full disclosure of the monies in question and has willingly surrendered the same to the State.
Ms. Musonda was charged with Possession of Property Reasonably Suspected to be Proceeds of Crime contrary to Section 71 of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crimes Act No.19 of 2010.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Lusaka on Wednesday morning, Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said the recovered funds from corruption will be given to the Ministry of Education to be used as additional university bursaries in 2022.
Dr. Musokotwane said the funds will benefit additional 2,232 university students across the nation who were left out on government bursaries in December 2021 due to budget constraints.
The Minister of Finance applauded the joint investigative team recovering suspected illegally-obtained assets and money.
“As you may be aware, the Zambia police carried out an operation in Lusaka’s new Kasama area, on 17th September 2021, were they discovered trunks of cash amounting to k65, 330, 000. In addition, there was also a safe containing us$57,900. Both sums of money were suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained. Ladies and gentlemen investigations into this matter were immediately commenced, and on 21st October 2021, the joint investigative team from the anti-corruption commission, Zambia police service, drug enforcement commission and the financial intelligence centre concluded investigations. The state, therefore, re-possessed these funds after charging the owner with possession of property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime,” Dr. Musokotwane said.
Dr. Musokotwane explained how the recovered funds will be utilized.
“Regarding the recovered assets in question today, I wish to confirm that the treasury has since officially received them. These funds will be utilised for a prudent and noble cause that fosters the common good of the people of Zambia, especially the youth. The youth are the anchor of this country’s future. The resolve and focus of this new dawn administration is to ensure that public funds are invested in areas that truly benefit society,” he said.
“To compensate for the abolished fees, grants from the government to public schools were significantly increased. These funds for school grants were already transmitted to all the schools before the first term of 2022 opened. This act, though incredibly costly on the part of the government, was in fulfillment of one of the most important commitments that the new dawn government made to the people of Zambia,” Dr. Musokotwane said.
He concluded: “Already, this act alone seems to have changed things for the better because some schools are reporting higher enrollment than before. Today we have high numbers of Zambian children from underprivileged households accessing free education. The benefits to the nation of this improved access to education on the quality of life, individuals’ livelihoods and economic development as a whole is incalculable. Zambian treasury fellow citizens you may also recall from the 2022 budget address, I made a commitment on behalf of the republican president, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, to tackle the challenges relating to the inadequacy of university bursaries for many of our bright young men and women across the nation. I am here today to do something about that challenge. In that regard, and after comprehensive analysis and wider consultations, your government has decided to use the funds that have been recovered from corruption to provide additional university bursaries in 2022.”
“..discovered trunks of cash amounting to k65, 330, 000. In addition, there was also a safe containing us$57,900. ….”
Only the kwacha was handed over……..
What happened to the $57,900 ????
And what are the results of those investigations ??????
Just window dressing. And indeed why has this woman been left to go scot-free? Who knows maybe she’s got more of this loot stashed somewhere.
Muletashako sometimes, this money under Chagwa would have been used for going to Paris, New York, London and so on….At least the students from impoverished household will have a chance to sit in a lecture room. I say, let’s recover the loot and redirect to noble causes and areas.
Umwanakashi chipuba uyu. Vasco Da Gama stole and ripped money from privatization but he did not bring it back. How do you give your money to a crook of privatization?That was your money young girl. Your forfeited it because of being intimidated. Foolish young lady!!! Your friend has never come clear on privatization. You, foolishly forfeiting all that money.
She has been allowed to go Scot free because she has made a full disclosure of the source of the monies. I can see a former president attached to this case and the new dawn is waiting for the right time to go for the big thief. ?
Congratulation ba government, atleast those poor students will also benefit instead of Musonda alone ! Persuing prosecution would have taken years and these poor student might have not benefited, Bane muletashya any goodwill like in this case
Welldone
@Spaka has right question, K3,046 missing, and the dollars are missing. Who stole that money?
Doing business in autocracies like Zambia is fraught with peril. Without an independent legal system, judges arbitrating commercial disputes can feel under pressure from individuals who have political clout. Only the most naive investor would operate in Zambia or DRC or Zimbabwe even without considering the risk of expropriation at the hands of the government or well-connected rivals. Zambia is supposed to be different: a business-friendly oasis with a Western outlook in a region fraught with danger.
@7 on the contrary, companies love a corrupt regime. That’s how they are able to get away with exploitation of the locals.
An independent judiciary just makes it difficult to get away with atrocities.
Where it hurts us is in getting a good name, and thus these companies do not want to PUBLICLY work with us for fear of being associated with such things.
This is how you get chocolate companies like Ferrero and Kraft making record profits off of Ivory Coast cocoa and yet they don’t have any factories in those countries. These guys don’t hate corruption, they depend on it!
How can this be success when the source of the funds is unknown and the main suspects are out there.
Such funds should be pumped back into fighting white collar crime.
You cannot just take funds and give them away without ascertaining the source or owner. It makes you liable to crime. If the source is illegal it means you as govt have also stolen and handed over property that is not yours. Upnd are very amateurish. They are scared to take cases to courts because these are cases lacking any merit
Well done HH and team! This is good for the impoverished Zambians. PF took from the people, UPND is giving to the people. Thieves the nation over are not at ease…HH 2041 and beyond!
Let’s hear more recoveries after that greed woman
Well done
Job well done!!!!!!!
We need more recovery please!!!
How much assets did PF regime recover during its period in government?
Job well done. Only a few things are not clear. Where has the looted $57,900 gone? Secondly, who stole this money? This is an incomplete investigation. We want to know the main thief who stole this money from the Zambian people. Thirdly, why let this woman go scot- free? At least she needed to do some time in the slammer, at a reduced sentence for cooperating with the investigative authorities. 3 years behind bars would do. Lastly, part of this money should’ve gone into upgrading law enforcement equipment to make them more sophisticated and well equipped. Other than that, job well done, guys. Keep it up.
Agree with #15
Kuwayawaya fye!
Did you need a public ceremony just to hand over one faith Musonda’s money?