By Agness Changala
The State has filed a notice of motion before the Lusaka High Court, seeking to forfeit the infamous Jet and other items found when it was intercepted at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in August this year.
Other items include 602 pieces of brass pellets (a combination of Copper and Zinc metals weighing a total of 127.28kilograms), five (5) pistols with 126 rounds of ammunition, eleven (11) pistol Magazines, a drilling machine and a central processing unit (CPU).
In an affidavit in support of notice of motion sworn by Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) assistant commissioner Martin Chitamba, the State has submitted that the cited property is tainted property liable for forfeiture to the State and the affected parties are not contesting.
“It is our submission that the applicant has established on a balance of probabilities that the properties cited above are tainted property. The affidavit and the exhibits have placed sufficient evidence to satisfy the court that the properties stated above are tainted property. We pray that this court finds that the cited properties are tainted properties and orders that the same be forfeited to the State,” read the skeleton arguments in part.
Chitamba who is also the investigating officer in this matter has submitted that on August 13, 2023, the Jet in question was suspected of carrying prohibited articles and landed around 17: 15 hours at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA).
He submitted that information showed that due to the suspicion of carrying prohibited articles, the aircraft which had been scheduled to take off at about 21:00 hours was denied clearance by the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Air Traffic Liaison Unit (ATLU) at KKIA to pave way for investigations.
Chitamba stated that on August 14, 2023, between 06:00 hours and 07:00 hours, KKIA Aviation Security Committee led by Ian Chimbwali, senior investigations officer and officer in charge at KKIA detained four crew members and five passengers of Egyptian origin who were on the GLEX Jet upon establishing that there were undisclosed amounts of dollars, firearms and gold.
“That acting on the information, the Central Joint Operations Committee (CJOP) constituted an ad-hoc inter-agency joint investigations team to thoroughly investigate and establish, inter alia, the nature of business the Egyptians were involved in while in the country and the circumstances under which the gold contraband was found on the aircraft, as well as masterminds and other individuals and entities in the suspected illicit transaction,” read the affidavit in part.
He stated that the inter-agency joint investigations team instituted investigations into the matter and seized the GLEX Jet.
Chitamba submitted that on August 14, 2023, following the seizure of the jet, the joint investigations team and officials from the Bank of Zambia (BOZ), Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development inspected the bags and luggage cases were seized from the air craft during which it was established that they contained US5,697,700, 602 pieces of brass pellets (a combination of copper and zinc metals weighing a total of 127.28 kilograms purported to have been valued at about US 7,636,800), five pistols with 126 rounds of ammunition and 11 pistol magazines, a drilling machine and a Central Processing Unit(CPU).
He stated that further investigations at ZRA revealed that the money found together with other items which were found on the Jet were not declared with customs officers at KKIA.
The investigator also stated that the investigations revealed that the Egyptians attempted to smuggle the 602 pieces of brass pellets (a combination of copper and zinc metals) weighing a total of 127.28 kilograms purported to have been valued at about US7,636,800 from Zambia to Egypt.
“That I have been advised and believe the same to be true and correct that the above property is tainted property and liable for forfeiture to the State because it is tainted, to which interested parties are not contesting,” submitted Chitamba.
