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

The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) invites submissions for the 2nd Edition of the Zambian Journal of Criminal Law. Legal practitioners, prosecutors, law students and judicial officers are encouraged to contribute research papers, case studies, and commentaries on key criminal law issues. Submission Deadline: 30th April, 2025 Details on submission guidelines and formatting are in the attached document. Submit your papers to zjcl@npa.gov.zm and be part of shaping Zambia’s legal framework in the area of Criminal Justice.

Lusaka, Northern, Southern and Muchinga Province teams taking part in celebrating women across the country.

Ndola, Zambia, 04.03.2025 – In a long-awaited sitting, the Supreme Court reconvened in Ndola today, to hear a slate of appeals, including a case led by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri SC. The rare sitting, held after an extended break, injected fresh momentum into the country’s top court, drawing keen attentionfrom legal minds and observers alike. It also reignited debate in legal circles about judicial access in a system where fewer than 5% of appeals ever reach the apex bench. Among the cases before the court was the State’s appeal in the matter of The Director of Public Prosecutions versus Nathan Mbaya and two others. The case, one of only eleven granted leave to appeal last year, traces to a 2021 border sting near Kasumbalesa, where Zambian authorities intercepted a Chinese national, a Congolese trader, and a Zambian intermediary allegedly swapping currencies without a licence. The High Court ordered that the seized cash be forfeited to

In a significant move towards promoting integrity in discharging its prosecutorial mandate, Northwestern Province on 19th February, 2025 joined the rest of the Institution in signing the Code of Conduct. The signing ceremony, which took place at Provincial Office, was attended by all the prosecutors in the province. It was a declaration by prosecutors in the province to do their part in the Institution’s overall quest to uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.

The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) is proud to share that Mrs. Chali Mbewe-Hambayi, Deputy Chief State Advocate and head of our Gender-Based Crimes Department, is conducting a Training of Trainers (T.O.T) program for Prosecutors in Zimbabwe. This crucial initiative, supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Programme on Gender-Based Violence, aims to enhance the capacity of Prosecutors to handle Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases with expertise, sensitivity, and a victim-centred approach. Working alongside two esteemed colleagues from the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPA Zimbabwe), Mrs. Hambayi is training 32 Prosecutors, equipping them with specialized skills to ensure justice for victims while upholding international legal standards. The training also fosters a network of expert Prosecutors who will continue to share knowledge and strengthen GBV case management across the region. Mrs. Hambayi brings a wealth of experience, having conducted similar training sessions in South Africa and the Seychelles. Mrs. Hambayi is part of a cohort of trainers

Today, 20th February 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. 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 initiative is a strategic intervention designed to expedite legal proceedings, ensuring that bail