WHEN he finishes serving his four-year jail term, politician Bowman Lusambo, alias Bulldozer, will not be able to drive his Black Range Rover nor will he own four of his luxury houses in Silverest.
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Through a court order, the properties have been forfeited to the State because they were found to have been bought using money obtained dubiously.
Yesterday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Court (EFCC) ordered the forfeiture of Mr Lusambo’s four houses and a Ranger Rover to the State for being tainted.
Lusaka resident magistrate Faides Hamaundu ordered that the convict’s properties be forfeited because the court had earlier established that the assets are proceeds of crime, in connection with the recent conviction on the jail bail who had been facing 10 counts of corruption related cases.
“I find that the properties in count 2, 7, 8, 9 and 10 were tainted as established before this court.
“I therefore, forfeit the black Range Rover in count two, property HT: T5-B No. 282 in count seven, property HT:T3-C No. 248 in count eight, property H:T3- C No. 249 in count 10 and property HT:T4-A No. 282 count nine to the State,” magistrate Hamaundu said in passing ruling.
This history behind this decision is that on November 8, 2024, magistrate Hamaundu sentenced Lusambo to four years imprisonment with hard labour in a case he was charged with tax evasion, money laundering and possession of properties deemed to be proceeds of crime.
And after the outspoken politician was jailed, the State applied that the suspected proceeds of crime belonging to the convict be forfeited, in line with section four of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act for a conviction-based forfeiture upon conviction, which allows a public prosecutor to make an application for forfeiture of tainted property.
The State submitted that the primary purpose of confiscation or forfeiture proceedings was to ensure that no person benefits from their wrong doing.
However, Mr Lusambo’s lawyer objected to the application arguing that the court had no jurisdiction to order forfeiture, citing section 331 of the Criminal Procedure Code Chapter 87 of the Zambian laws.
But their contention was dismissed and the court granted the State the plea to have the properties forfeited.
(Mwebantu, Tuesday, 28th January, 2025)
Bowman Lusambo loses 4 houses, Range Rover to the state
