By 
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Gilbert Phiri, has requested the Economic and Financial Crimes Court (EFCC) to grant an order for the forfeiture of 43,903 mukula timber logs to the State, alleging that the logs were illegally harvested and were considered tainted property.
The forfeiture, which is being sought under a Non-Conviction-Based motion, follows the abandonment of the timber after it was harvested in violation of Zambian law.
The DPP’s motion was grounded in Sections 29 and 32 of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act.
The application was supported by an affidavit filed by Mateyo Kumwenda, an employee of the Zambia National Service (ZNS), who was directly involved in the operation to seize the illegally harvested mukula timber.
Kumwenda detailed the events that led to the seizure of the logs and referenced an October 2021 statement from Collins Nzovu, then Minister of Green Economy and Environment, reaffirming the government’s ban on the harvesting and trade of mukula timber.
The ban, which was originally introduced in June 2017, allowed only the Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO) to legally purchase and sell mukula timber.
Consequently, individuals who had harvested or possessed the timber illegally were left with no choice but to abandon it.
On January 17, 2023, the Ministry of Green Economy appointed ZNS as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to carry out the mopping-up and disposal of illegally harvested mukula timber across the country.
According to Kumwenda’s affidavit, this operation took place between November 1, 2023, and February 17, 2024, and resulted in the collection of 39,723 logs from six satellite centers across Zambia.
As part of the operation, ZNS played a key role in ensuring that the logs were secured and prepared for the legal forfeiture process.
Now, the DPP is seeking a court order to finalise the forfeiture of the 43,903 logs to the State.
The court is expected to deliberate on the matter in the coming weeks as the DPP has pressed for the logs to be permanently forfeited to the State.
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