LUSAKA-(MaraviPost)-Former President Edgar Lungu’s son, Dalitso Lungu, has lost properties worth over K24 million to the State after they were found to be proceeds of crime.
The forfeited assets include over 69 motor vehicles and 23 pieces of land located across the country, highlighting the extensive nature of the seizures.
In a judgment delivered by the Lusaka High Court’s Economic and Financial Crimes Court, the court noted that investigations into Mr. Lungu’s financial capacity revealed non-compliance with tax return requirements by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), including the submission of nil returns.
The court observed that this indicated Mr. Lungu had no discernible income from employment or business activities that would be subject to tax, raising suspicions about the origin of his wealth.
It further found that the funds used to acquire the properties were reasonably suspected to have been obtained through illicit or unlawful activities, including money laundering and tax evasion.
The court also noted that the failure to establish legitimate sources of income capable of financing the acquisition of the properties led to the conclusion that the assets were tainted and constituted proceeds of crime.
As a result, the court ordered that the properties be forfeited to the State, to be applied as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) deems fit within the confines of the law.
The application was made by DPP Gilbert Phiri under a non-conviction based forfeiture process, demonstrating the State’s commitment to recovering ill-gotten gains.
The forfeiture of Dalitso Lungu’s assets sends a strong message that corruption and illicit enrichment will not be tolerated in Zambia.
