By 
A Zambia Air Force (ZAF) officer and his wife will spend the next three years in prison after failing to justify how they acquired property worth over K7 million.
Warrant Officer Class 1, Albert Siyunda and his wife, Nandina Lyatamani, were convicted by the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court on seven counts of possessing and concealing property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The couple owned multiple houses in Ibex Hills, New Kasama, Chalala, and Lilayi—some built through a construction company, others paid for in cash.
However, investigators found no legitimate financial trail linking them to the assets.
Despite pleading not guilty, their defense collapsed under scrutiny.
Siyunda claimed he funded the properties through loans and a boat business in Congo, but the court found no bank records, border declarations, or proof of large cash inflows into Zambia.
Principal Magistrate Sylvia Munyinya dismissed their defense as implausible, ruling that they failed to provide a reasonable explanation for their wealth.
“The prosecution has proved the case on the balance of probabilities,” she said.
A key claim—that their business associate transported $30,000 at a time from Congo—was undermined by a lack of customs records or banking transactions.
A supposed ledger documenting the transfers was also deemed unreliable due to the absence of independent verification.
With no credible evidence supporting their claims, the court convicted the couple on all seven counts.
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