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The Economic and Financial crimes court has set September 12, 2023 as date it will rule on whether Patriotic Front (PF) acting President, Given Lubinda, has a case to answer or not.
This is in a case where Lubinda is charged with five counts of being in possession of property suspected to proceeds of crime.
The decision came after the Prosecution team closed its case on Tuesday stating that the witness on stand was their last witness.
The court therefore ruled that the defense team should file their submissions on August 22, and the state would respond on September 4, 2023.
Meanwhile, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) officer, Friday Tembo, told magistrate Sandford Ngobola sitting under the EFC that there was no signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between China Africa cotton Limited based in Chipata Zambia and the government of Zambia.
Read more: Court frees Lubinda, Patriotic Front vice president, for breach of parliamentary privileges
Tembo, who is also an Assistant Director of Investigations told the court during cross examination that there was no connection between the loan that was given to Highview company and the government.
In this matter, Lubinda, pleaded not guilty to five counts of possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime contrary to section 71 (1) of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act No. 19 of 2010, of the Laws of Zambia.
Lubinda, is alleged in the first count to have on March, 3, 2018 at Lusaka received US$50,000.00 from China Africa Cotton Limited, property reasonably suspected of being a proceed of crime.
He is in the second count alleged to have on February, 2, 2019 received US$ 100,000.00 from Qingdao Ruichang Cotton Industrial Company Limited property reasonably suspected of being a proceed of crime.
In the third count, allegations are that Lubinda on December 23 , 2019 in Lusaka received US $80,000.00 from Qingdao Ruichang Cotton Industrial Company Limited property reasonably suspected of being a proceed of crime.
Lubinda in the fourth count is alleged to have in March,15, 2019 in Lusaka disposed of a sum of US$ 50,000.00 to Sunshare Investment as part payment towards the purchase of property no. C1,56# situate at Kingsland city .
In the last count, it is alleged that Lubinda on April 2, 2019 did possess US$49, 990 in his account number 055-1026566 domiciled at ABSA Bank Zambia PLC.
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