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Finance and National planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, has told the Economic and Financial crimes court that he was not related to the alleged owner of the 48 houses, now 51, Charles Mukomena Loyana.
Musokotwane also told the court that he did not own any of the houses in Chalala area in Lusaka.
He further told Lusaka magistrate, Faides Hamaundu, to take his Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to prove to the court he had no relationship between him and Loyana.
He was testifying in a matter, in which Loyana and his wife Susan Sinkala are charged with two counts of Concealing of Property suspected to be proceeds of crime contrary to section 71 Sub Section 1 of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act No. 19 of 2010.
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The couple pleaded not guilty to two charges of corrupt practices involving K37 million.
Musokotwane testified that he was never connected to the alleged owner of the houses in Chalala and it was his first time meeting him in court.
He denied claims going round social media that he was related to Loyana, saying he knew nothing about the properties in Chalala.
“Let the court take my DNA and his there is no relationship between me and Mr Charles Loyana. I don’t know him and I have never met him, he is not even closer to my family,” he said.
Musokotwane narrated that the whole story of him being connected to the said houses came from Patriotic front (PF) member of Parliament for political reasons.
“This whole thing was an insinuation of PF Mp’s for political reasons and they apologized in Parliament Remember Mutale, Chitambo MP is the one who brought the issue up and he apologized.
“He was making insinuations that Mr Loyana is related to me when infact not.Mr Mutale made the allegations and he apologised in Parliament when the matter was taken to disciplinary committee,” Musokotwane said.
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Musokotwane submitted that Mr. Mutale failed to prove his allegations that I was related to Loyana and apologized.
“Mr. Mutale was making insinuation that Loyana is related to me when infact not.
When he was taken to disciplinary to prove his allegations he failed of which Dr Patrick Matibini the speaker of the National assembly ordered him to apologize which he did,” he said.
When asked by the defense Lawyer, Willis Muhanga, if he was Loyana’s uncle and if there was a relationship between the two, Musokotwane said there had been no relation between him and the accused person.
“The accused person is not my relation and this is my first time seeing him and I have never talked to him,” he said.
He was asked further if Loyana’s employment at the ministry of finance was connected to him?
He said there was no connections whatever.
“This is the first time am meeting this man how can I employ someone have never met, there is no connection whatsoever,” Musokotwane submitted.
Musokotwane disclosed to the court that he was not the owner of the houses in Chalala and he has never been there.
“The story is false. I do not own the houses in Chalala and never been there, I don’t know brick layer, plumber, electrician even the person who owns the land,” he submitted.
Muhanga further asked if he knew a Tanzanian National named Uziel Bashire, and he said he had never met him and was his first time hearing him.
After his testimony, Muhanga informed the court that he was their last witness and have closed their defense.
The court has since set June 30, 2023 as judgement day.
Details are that on dates unknown but between January 1, 2012 and June 30 2019, Loyana, Senior Accountant at the Ministry of Finance and Sinkala , an Assistant Accountant at the Ministry of Works and Supply jointly and whilst acting together with others unknown, did conceal and possess 51 properties valued at Thirty-Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Sixteen Thousand Kwacha (K 37,916,000.00), properties reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.
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