COURT SUMMONS DEC BOSS TO PRODUCE EVIDENCE FOR FREEZING FINDLAY ACCOUNTS

By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA

THE Lusaka High Court has summoned Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Director General Mary Chirwa to testify in a matter in which Valden Findlay and five others have petitioned the court to order the commission to unfreeze the bank accounts held at First Alliance Bank (Z) Limited.

Ms Chirwa has been subpoenaed to appear before High Court Judge Susan Wanjelani on April 22, 2022.

According to the writ of summons issued to Ms Chirwa by the petitioner’s lawyers Makebi Zulu Advocates, she is required to give evidence and produce the Anti-Money Laundering Unit investigation report on the payments received by D. Findlay and Associates (third petitioner)  from the Ministry of Finance alleged to be in the sum of over K386 million.

She is to produce a joint Task Force investigation team report on the payments received from Ministry of Finance to D. Findlay and Associates and any other documents relating to the said payment.

In this matter, Mr Findlay has petitioned the High Court together with his wife Dessislava Findlay, and D. Findlay and Associates as first, second and third petitioners.

Others are Twatotela Properties Limited, Chrismar Earth Moving Equipment Limited and Greenview Service Providers Limited as fourth, fifth and sixth petitioners respectively.

The Attorney General is cited as the respondent in this matter.

Mr Findlay states that on August 16, just after the announcement of the August 12, 2021 general elections, the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) directed the freezing of bank accounts held at First Alliance Bank without any formal communication to the petitioners.

The said accounts are Harry Findlay account no.0010010071003, Dessislava Findlay account no. 0010010271037 and 0010010271002.

Other accounts are Twatotela Properties Limited Kwacha account no.101023160002 and D. Findlay and Associates Kwacha account no. 1010231001 and 1010231004, Chrismar Earth Moving equipment account no.0010102264001 and account no.0060700335001 belonging to Green View Service Providers Limited.

But Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha contended that DEC froze the accounts because the petitioners are being investigated for money laundering activities which include a payment of K386, 265, 277 from the Ministry of Finance to the law firm.

The Findlay family denied any involvement in money laundering activities or having received such a payment.