Today 15th April, 2025, at Panari Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya members of prosecution services, investigative agencies, asset recovery agencies and anti corruption bodies including regional asset recovery and anti-money laundering networks adopted the Nairobi Declaration of the African Asset Recovery Practitioners’ Forum (AARP). Members of the Forum are national institutions with an asset recovery mandate. At the same gathering a Charter was signed by the members to operationalize the formation of the African Asset Recovery Practitioners’ Forum. Zambia was represented at the Forum by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri, SC and Mrs. Monica Mwansa, Deputy Director of of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MINISTRY OF TOURISM COMMENDS SUCCESSFUL STING OPERATION OF A NOTORIOUS IVORY TRAFFICKER IN LUSAKALusaka, Zambia 13th April, 2025The Ministry of Tourism, through the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), has apprehended a notorious ivory kingpin and five accomplices in a sting operation conducted today, 13th April 2025, in Lusaka’s 6 Miles area along the Great North Road around 12:30 hours.This operation was as the result of credible intelligence from members of the public concerning the illegal activities of a Congolese national involved in wildlife trafficking. DNPW officers from the Intelligence and Investigations Unit intercepted a silver Toyota Quantum Hiace minibus, registration number BAZ 6727 ZM, which was found loaded with elephant ivory weighing 528.8 kilograms an alarming amount that highlights the scale of this illicit trade.72 pieces of elephant ivory packed in 20 sackbags have been confiscated from the suspects.This milestone operation reflects Zambia’s strong stance against wildlife crime and our commitment to the protection of

The National Prosecution, Mongu office exhibits at the 2025 Kuomboka, an annual procession that marks the transition of the Lozi King (Litunga) from his summer house in Lealui to his winter house at Limulunga Palace. NPA is sensitising the people on what type of services it offers, Gender based violence, asset forfeiture. NPA Mongu is also strengthening stakeholder engagements by addressing questions and concerns from members of the public for efficient and effective delivery of justice

In a highly publicized case, Annie Monta, the wife of late Copperbelt based businessman Richard Chileshe Mbulu, also known as Chile One, has been found guilty of his murder. The Kitwe High Court delivered its judgment on April 4, 2025, convicting Monta of the offense of murder contrary to section 200 of the Penal Code, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia. The incident occurred on the night of April 30, 2022, at the couple’s matrimonial home in Kitwe, where Monta shot her husband in their bedroom. Monta pleaded not guilty leading to a trial in which the state called nine witnesses to prove the case. At the close of the prosecution case, Monta was put on her defense and gave evidence on oath, opting not to call any witnesses. In passing sentence, Justice Evaristo Pengele considered the extenuating circumstances of the case and sentenced Monta to 20 years’ simple imprisonment. The deceased left behind seven children, three of whom

The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) welcomes the recent judgment of the High Court – Economic and Financial Crimes Division, in the matter of Pingani Auto Services Ltd v. The People, which reaffirmed the conviction and sentencing of the appellant for multiple counts of tax evasion and submission of false returns. On 23rd February 2023, the Subordinate Court sitting in Kitwe, under Cause No. RM/253/22, convicted Pingani Auto Services Ltd on 11 counts of tax evasion contrary to Sections 16, 19(1), 20(1), and 44(1) of the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act, as well as 11 counts of making false returns in violation of Section 43 of the VAT Act. The appellant pleaded guilty to all 22 counts and was sentenced to pay a cumulative fine of K89, 335,442.37. Dissatisfied with the severity of the sentence, the appellant lodged an appeal, arguing that being a first offender and having pleaded guilty, it was deserving of a more lenient sentence. The appellant further

Today, the 2nd of  April   2025, Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri, S.C., the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), played a central role at the historic launch of the Mobile Prison Courts at Kabwe in the Central Province of the Republic of Zambia. This event unveiled a transformative alliance with the Judiciary of Zambia, Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS), the Legal Aid Board (LAB), Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI), and the National Prosecution Authority (NPA). This groundbreaking initiative aims to address the critical issue of prison and correctional inmate overpopulation within Zambia through the establishment of Mobile Courts. The Mobile courts are intended to bring justice closer to inmates by having matters such as bail applications, variation of bail conditions, and setting of trial and judgment dates conducted in the correctional facilities. This entails judicial staff such as the Magistrates and Judges being accompanied by Prosecutors and Legal Aid Officers to sit and conduct hearings in the correctional facilities. The Mobile Courts

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is preparing to challenge a recent Court of Appeal decision that overturned a forfeiture order in a high-profile case involving a police officer, Elvis Haatila, and his company, J. Yumba General Dealers. The case raises critical questions about the enforcement of Zambia’s asset recovery laws. At the heart of the matter is over USD 470,000 traced to a company owned by an Interpol-wanted suspect, and a financial trail that authorities argue is indicative of transnational money laundering.The case dates back to 2015, when the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), acting on alerts from the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), froze bank accounts associated with Haatila and his company. Investigations revealed that the funds had originated from Truong An Limited, a Vietnamese firm controlled by Ms. Tran Thi Minh Chau, who is wanted internationally for fraud-related offences.Although the appellants claimed the money was meant for mining investments through a Zambian company known as Double Q Surfaces Mining

The National Prosecution Authority and Interagency Coordination and Cooperation Framework, with the support of the Basel Institute on Governance’s International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR), successfully trained and certified five individuals, including the NPA’s very own Mr. Sipholiano Phiri, Acting Senior State Advocate, Mr. Hastings Sichone, Senior Public Prosecutor, and Mr. Darlington Mukelelabo, Senior Public Prosecutor, as trainers in Financial Investigations and Asset Recovery through a “Train-The-Trainer” program conducted by ICAR. This extensive training commenced in Lusaka on April 22, 2024 and concluded on 7th March, 2025. The achievement from our able Prosecutors reflects the commitment of the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) to strengthen its capacity in financial crime investigation and asset recovery. The five ICAR trainers were selected from a group of 25 participants representing 10 institutions. They underwent a series of training and mentorship sessions by ICAR experts across five workshops, gradually building their skills and knowledge. Their training journey culminated in independently delivering the final two workshops

The National Prosecution Authority of Zambia on the 13th of March 2025,participated in a side event at the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York. The event, co-hosted by the governments of Uganda and Zambia, along with partners from the United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Children’s Fund, and Plan International, focused on the topic “Attaining Gender Equality: Accelerating Efforts and Strengthening Partnerships to End Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancies in Uganda.” Speaking on behalf of Zambia and the Permanent Secretary of the Gender Division, Ms. Mainga D. Kabika, Mrs. Chali Hambayi – the Director of the Gender based Crimes Department at the NPA- emphasised the need for regional and cross-border collaboration to eradicate child marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa. She highlighted Zambia’s progress in addressing child marriage through the enactment of the Children’s Code Act of 2022 and the Marriage Amendment Act of 2023. Mrs. Hambayi noted that education is a game-changer for girls