By Staff Reporter
The Drug Enforcement Commission says the15 houses belonging to Esther Nyawa Tembo will be forfeited to the state after three months if the owner does not come forward to claim them.
DEC yesterday took possession of 15 houses in New Kasama area of Lusaka, believed to be owned by Esther Nyawa Tembo. The commission stated that the houses are complete and ready for occupation and are believed to have been abandoned and the commission has since taken possession of them, and that DEC was yet to establish who Esther Nyawa Tembo is.
The commission stated that they were calling on the said person to bring their documentation to prove ownership of the property.
But asked by Daily Revelation on what the status would be if the owner did not come forward to claim them, Kamanga said the properties would be advertised.
“We will advertise it for three months in accordance with the provisions of the forfeiture of proceeds of crime Act Number 19 of 2010 and after three months if nobody comes, automatically they are forfeited to the state. So after three months we just go to court to get a court order to have them forfeited and they will be forfeited,” said Kamanga.
However, Kamanga could not name categorically who this Esther Tembo is.
“We don’t want to say that yet because names can be similar so investigations are yet to be concluded. That information we found inside the house so we are yet to conclude on which Esther it is. So at the moment I can’t categorically say that it is the former First Lady, no,” he said.
Asked if DEC has been investigating the former first lady, Kamanga laughed off the matter.
“So that is the status quo as at the moment. We can’t categorically state to say no, this is the person until we have verified with relevant authorities,” said Kamanga.
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