Witness tells court how he evaluated properties belonging to ex-Lusaka Minister, Lusambo

A witness has narrated to the Economic and Financial Crimes Court how he was assigned to evaluate two properties belonging to ex-Lusaka Province Minister, Bowman Lusambo.

This is a matter in which Lusambo is facing two counts of possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.

Paul Moyo, 45, a Senior Evaluation and Property Management Officer told the court that as requested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), he conducted a report on two properties on the market value.

He outlined the description of the two properties and stated the location where the properties were located and also included the ownership details.

Moyo said his report also described the basis of evaluation and he adopted two conclusions; one being market value and the other one reinstatement value, the two basis were adopted to come up with the value of each property.

He was testifying in a matter in which Lusambo, 47, is facing two counts of possession of property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime contrary to section 71 of the Forfeiture of proceeds of Crime Act No. 19 of 2010.

“Farm 609/E/44/B/9 the market value was K17.6 million and the reinstatement value is K13.5million and on Farm 609/E/50, these are six incomplete flats the market value was K5.2 million and the reinstatement value was K4.4 million.

“The rationale of coming up with the values in this report was mainly to estimate how much it could cost to construct these properties of course not withstanding I had to also estimate the market value of these properties,” he said.

Moyo said on March 15 , 2022 he received instructions through his director to value the two properties namely 609/E/44/B/9 and farm 609/E/50 located in Chamba valley Lusaka.

“The instructions came from ACC to value two properties namely farm 609/E/44/B/9 and farm 609/E/50 located in Chamba valley Lusaka, upon receipt of instructions I constituted a team which comprised offers from our department and officers from public infrastructure, a quantity surveyor and I also contacted officers from ACC to arrange the physical inspection of the two properties.

“On March 25, 2022 the team and I went to the site of the two properties and took inspection, the inspection was mainly getting information on the two properties,” he said.

Moyo told Lusaka chief resident magistrate, Davies Chibwili, that he submitted the report he took as part of his evidence.

It is alleged in count one that on a date unknown but between May 1, 2015, and December 31 2021 in Lusaka, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown did possess property number F/609/E/44/B/9, comprising of a single storey four (4) bedroom dwelling house, guest wing, gazebo and a car shed located in Chamba Valley-Lusaka, property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime.

In count two, it was alleged that Lusambo on a date unknown but between May 1, 2015 and 31 December 2021 in Lusaka, jointly and whilst acting together with others unknown did possess an incomplete block of six (6) flats, constructed on property number F/609/E/50 in Chamba Valley Lusaka, properties reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime.

The court had since adjourned the matter to November 10, 2022 for the defense to have more time to study the report in preparation for cross examination.

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