Economic and Financial Crimes Registry Lusaka

21 judgments
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Results. 21 judgments found.

21 judgments
February 2026
9 February 2026
November 2025
Applicant failed to prove special damages from unlawful bank restriction but awarded nominal damages for infringement of property right.
  • Administrative law; Anti-Corruption Act — Restriction Notice and Warrant of Seizure; service requirement under s.61(2); burden of proof in civil claims; special damages (loss of use of money, business loss, medical expenses) require particularisation and strict proof; misfeasance in public office — element of malice/ulterior purpose; nominal damages for infringement of legal right.
21 November 2025
September 2025
30 September 2025
High Court granted leave to the DPP to appeal out of time, holding section 324 covers s.321A appeals and delay was satisfactorily explained.
  • Criminal Procedure Code — Appeals — Sections 321, 321A, 322, 324 — Leave to appeal out of time — Jurisdiction of High Court to extend time for DPP appeals — Inordinate delay — Satisfactory explanation — Prejudice to respondents.
29 September 2025
April 2025
A criminal appellant may substitute an appeal ground despite procedural mis-citation and elapsed time; court grants leave.
  • Criminal procedure — Amendment of grounds of appeal — Substitution of an existing ground — Time limits under Criminal Procedure Code (EFCC) Rules (five months and 45-day extension) — Jurisdiction preserved despite lapse of statutory hearing period; procedural mis-citation not fatal.
11 April 2025
March 2025
Non‑conviction forfeiture granted where unexplained disproportionate wealth and unregistered agreement failed to rebut reasonable suspicion.
  • Forfeiture — Non‑conviction civil forfeiture under Sections 29 and 31; Section 71 (possession suspected proceeds) as basis for reasonable suspicion; burden and standard of proof — balance of probabilities; evidential shift to interested party to prove legitimate source; unregistered land use agreement void under Lands and Deeds Registry Act; formal defects curable; property forfeited.
28 March 2025
Applicant’s failure to serve and publish the Notice of Application as ordered led to dismissal for non‑compliance with court directions.
  • Forfeiture proceedings — service of process — compliance with court directions — Notice of Application vs Notice of Hearing — requirement to seek leave for late service — Article 118(2)(e) and technicalities — dismissal for non‑compliance.
18 March 2025
December 2024
Court ordered non‑conviction forfeiture after finding reasonable suspicion of proceeds of crime and interested parties failed to rebut evidence.
  • Forfeiture (civil/non‑conviction) — Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act — reasonable suspicion standard — evidentiary burden shifts to interested party to prove lawful source — bank cash deposits, disproportionate assets v. declared income — scope of subject property (subdivision vs whole title) — government bonds, treasury bills and fixed deposits amenable to forfeiture when traceable to suspected proceeds.
20 December 2024
October 2024
Civil non‑conviction forfeiture application alleging Simonga Farm was acquired with proceeds of corruption; key issues include tainted property, proof standard, and proprietary interests.
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31 October 2024
Order 20 Rule 11 cannot be used to expand a judgment to grant substantive, unpleaded reliefs.
  • Slip rule (Order 20 r.11) — correction of clerical mistakes or accidental slips only — cannot be used to grant unpleaded substantive relief; pleadings define reliefs; court functus officio after judgment.
30 October 2024
September 2024
High Court dismissed application for want of jurisdiction to challenge a subordinate court's warrant of seizure.
  • Jurisdiction — challenge to warrant of seizure issued by Subordinate Court — High Court’s (Economic and Financial Crimes Division) jurisdiction is broad but not limitless — court orders subsist until set aside by issuing court — absence of challenge in issuing court bars High Court determination — matter dismissed for want of jurisdiction.
30 September 2024
Non-conviction forfeiture allowed where applicant proves reasonable suspicion from income–asset disparity; interested party failed to rebut on balance of probabilities.
  • Non-conviction forfeiture — admissibility of electronic bank records and valuation reports — reasonable suspicion based on unexplained wealth/income-asset disparity — burden and standard of proof in forfeiture proceedings — Section 31(2) interest defence — investigating officer evidence on financial analysis.
27 September 2024
Whether non‑conviction forfeiture is appropriate where applicant proves on a balance of probabilities that vehicles are proceeds of crime.
  • Forfeiture of proceeds of crime — Non‑conviction based forfeiture (s31 FPOCA) — Standard of proof: balance of probabilities — Burden of proof and shift under s31(2)/s71(2) — Documentary, bank and forensic handwriting evidence — Insufficient explanation by interested parties — Order forfeiting motor vehicles to the State.
9 September 2024
August 2024
Court ordered civil forfeiture of assets acquired from contracts obtained by false pretences; interested parties failed to rebut taint.
  • Forfeiture of proceeds of crime — Non-conviction forfeiture — jurisdiction under Sections 29, 31, 71 FPOCA — civil standard (balance of probabilities) — procurement misrepresentation — Key Personnel requirement — false pretences (Penal Code s309) — proceeds of crime — burden shift and unexplained wealth — forfeiture and costs.
21 August 2024
The court dismissed the applicant's constitutional challenge to seizure powers and refused damages for misfeasance.
  • Constitutional law — search, seizure and privacy — Sections 58–59 Anti‑Corruption Act — warrant of seizure as court order under Article 17(2)(d); Forfeiture law — Sections 71,78 Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act — burden and standard of proof; criminal procedure — presumption of innocence and applicability of Article 18; tort — misfeasance in public office.
20 August 2024
June 2024
Failure to serve the person with a fresh third‑party Restriction Notice renders it void; warrant of seizure lawful and ACC may investigate PTT.
  • Anti‑corruption investigations — Section 61 third‑party restriction notices — service requirements — validity; Distinction between Restriction Notice and Warrant of Seizure — custody vs status quo; ACC powers under s.6(1)(b) to investigate offences under other written laws including Property Transfer Tax; judicial restraint in civil proceedings that would arrest ongoing criminal investigations.
21 June 2024
May 2024
Court granted non‑conviction forfeiture of assets as proceeds of crime and declared victim's entitlement to restitution from disposal proceeds.
  • Non-conviction forfeiture; Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act — tainted property and proceeds of crime; civil standard (balance of probabilities) in forfeiture proceedings; victim's declaration of interest and restitution; recognition of equitable/beneficial interest where legal title in third party.
15 May 2024
Applicant failed to show fresh evidence or compliance with mandatory Section 30(a) service requirements; review application dismissed.
  • Procedure — Review of own judgment under Order XXXIX Rule 1 — Fresh evidence test (materiality, effect, existence before decision, discovery after decision, due diligence) — Mandatory service requirements under Section 30(a) Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act — Originating notice must be served with affidavit and skeleton arguments.
10 May 2024
April 2024
Whether non‑conviction civil forfeiture is warranted where property value far exceeds the proprietor's known income.
  • Non‑conviction forfeiture; tainted property and proceeds of crime; burden shifting to interested party under s.31(2) FPOCA; admissibility/curability of affidavit/form defects; compatibility with constitutional property rights (Article 16).
16 April 2024
March 2024
Appellants convicted for theft by fraudulent conversion; immunity rejected; statutory judgment set aside; interest to be paid to Treasury.
  • Criminal law — Theft by public servant — Theft may be by taking or by fraudulent conversion — Particulars of charge sufficient; conversion established. Prosecutorial misconduct — Alleged witness tampering not substantiated. Statutory immunity — Sections 90 & 10 Postal Services Act inapplicable where acts not in good faith and lacking required approvals. Directors' liability — Directors may be criminally liable where they direct the mind of a corporate body. Section 171(1)(a) Criminal Procedure Code — Statutory judgment unsuitable where principal funds were paid; interest to be determined and remitted to Treasury
15 March 2024
April 2023
Seizure notices under the Anti‑Money Laundering Act must be served and justified by the State’s reasonable belief; otherwise they are invalid.
  • Seizure of property — Prohibition and Prevention of Money Laundering Act, s.15 — burden of proof on authorised officer to demonstrate reasonable belief of proceeds of crime; requirement of service of seizure notice to affected person; seizure notice validity interpreted as six months (s.18); right to be heard and presumption of innocence; High Court jurisdiction to entertain challenges to seizures.
21 April 2023