Lusaka | 9 November 2025 – On Wednesday, November 5, 2025, businessman Adolphus Mubanga, a relative of former Defence Minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba commonly known as “GBM”, begun serving his two‑year custodial sentence with hard labour, following a High Court decision that upheld his conviction for possession of K4,050,000, funds the court found reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime. In a November 2023 judgment delivered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Division of the Subordinate Court, presided over by Chief Resident Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga, Mr. Mubanga was found guilty on three separate counts. The counts involved the possession of K4,050,000, K980,000 and K525,954, funds that were held to be reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime, contrary to Section 71(1) of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act No. 19 of 2010. He was sentenced to a two year custodial sentence with hard labour. Dissatisfied with that judgment, Mr. Mubanga appealed both his conviction and sentence before the Economic

Lusaka | November 9 2025 – The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) on Tuesday, November 4 2025, hosted a high-level engagement with researchers from the Centre on Human Trafficking Research and Outreach (CenHTRO) aimed at strengthening collaboration under the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Labour Trafficking Project. In attendance were at the meeting was the learned Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri SC, Mrs. Gracillia Chipulu-Mulenga, Deputy Chief State Advocate (DCSA) and head of the Taxation and Financial Crimes Department, State Advocate Mrs. Chisomo Mtolo-Sikanyika, and three CenHTRO researchers. The meeting provided a platform to exchange insights and reinforce cooperation in the fight against labour trafficking in Zambia. During the engagement, the CenHTRO representatives voiced a strong optimism for a collaborative partnership with the National Prosecution Authority in the fight against labour trafficking. In response, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri SC, clarified the Authority’s key role, confirming that while the NPA’s core mandate is

Kabwe | October 31 2025 – The Kabwe Subordinate Court concluded a case against five individuals, one of whom is former-Lusaka Province Minister Mr. Bowman Chilosha Lusambo testing the boundaries between political stature and legal accountability. The five were charged with the offence of Unlawful Assembly, contrary to Section 74(1) as read with Section 75 of the Penal Act, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia. The court delivered its judgment on October 29 2025, convicting Bowman Lusambo, Billy Sichamba, Saidi Chibwana, and Martin Simfukwe. Mathews Changwe was acquitted.The case, prosecuted by Senior Public Prosecutor Ms. Elizabeth Sikute of the National Prosecution Authority Kabwe Office, stemmed from an incident on November 2 2023 at Brimas in Kabwe Town Centre. The prosecution presented evidence from seven witnesses, establishing that the convicted individuals jointly assembled and conducted themselves in a manner that caused persons in the neighborhood reasonable fear of a breach of peace. The defence, which called five witnesses, had argued

Lusaka | October 28, 2025 – The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has today delivered judgment in one of Zambia’s most complex financial crime cases, convicting six men, three Zambians and two Ugandans, including Patrick Kafula (38), for orchestrating a sophisticated cyber-theft that siphoned over K14 million from Atlas Mara Bank Limited.The convicted are Patrick Kafula, Vincent Ssempejji, Sylvester Apuli, Rashid Kyagulanyi, Austin Daka, and Makosana Ndolo. Evidence presented during the trial showed that between December 2019 and July 2020, the accused deliberately and unlawfully accessed Atlas Mara Bank’s core systems, transferring millions of kwacha into 79 internal beneficiary accounts through a carefully coordinated operatioThe prosecution, led by Deputy Chief State Advocate Gracillia Chipulu-Mulenga, Deputy Chief State Advocate in the Taxation and Financial Crimes Department (TFCD) of the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) and supported by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC)’s Anti-Money Laundering Unit (AMLIU), detailed how the syndicate used sophisticated devices and software to bypass the bank’s security protocols and conceal the

Lobito, Angola | October, 2025 – The Africa Prosecutors’ Association (APA) convened its 18th Annual General Meeting and Conference in the coastal city of Lobito, Benguela Province, Republic of Angola, from 15th to 17th October 2025, under the timely and forward-looking theme “Digital Justice and Technological Innovation in Africa: Emerging Technologies at the Service of Justice.” Hosted by the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic of Angola, the high-level gathering brought together Attorneys General, Directors of Public Prosecutions, senior prosecutors, and justice sector leaders from across the continent to deliberate on the transformative potential of digital technologies in the administration of justice. Zambia was proudly represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri, S.C., accompanied by Ms. Makumba Gwendolyn Kashishi, Principal State Advocate, and Mr. Kayoka Sifali, Senior State Advocate, all from the National Prosecution Authority (NPA).Preceding the conference was an in-person Executive Committee Meeting of the APA, where crucial matters were discussed. Zambia,

Lusaka | October 17, 2025 – In a major blow, the Lusaka subordinate Court has denied former Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba bail pending appeal and stripped Joseph Malanji of his multimillion-kwacha assets. Chief Resident Magistrate Irene Wishimanga delivered the decisive verdict in the case of The People vs. Yamba and Malanji, ordering the property forfeited to the State.The ruling reinforces the strength of the convictions secured by the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) and confirms the principle that the successful dissipation of public funds will be met with the full force of the law.Following the duo’s convictions and sentencing by the Lusaka Magistrate Court last month, Fredson Yamba filed an application for bail pending the outcome of his appeal.In a decisive ruling, Chief Resident Magistrate Wishimanga dismissed the application. The court found that the applicant failed to demonstrate any prospects of success in his main appeal. The ruling highlighted that the grounds of appeal advanced failed to meet the

Lusaka, Zambia – October 14, 2025 – In a coordinated effort to enhance Zambia’s legal and institutional response to serious financial and economic crimes, the Steering Committee of the Inter-Agency Framework on Collaboration and Coordination in Asset Recovery held its quarterly meeting today at the Office of the Auditor General in Lusaka.The high-level session brought together the heads of Zambia’s law enforcement and regulatory institutions, confirming the country’s strong, collective stance against complex financial, environmental, and transnational crimes.The meeting was chaired by Auditor General Dr. Ron Mwambwa, who stood in for the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Chairperson of the Steering Committee, who was attending to other official duties.The Committee’s agenda focused on several pressing challenges requiring coordinated, cross-agency intervention. Although many deliberations remain classified, among the less sensitive issues tabled included the need to curb illegal mining operations and their far-reaching consequences which range from environmental degradation, pollution and loss of state revenue. The rise of financial ventures and

Today marked a historic milestone as the learned Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri SC, officially launched the first-ever Prosecutors’ Guidelines for Children in the Justice System during the joint launch of the Child Justice Institutional Framework. This landmark resource is designed to strengthen the capacity of prosecutors to effectively manage child victims, witnesses, and children in conflict with the law, in line with the Children’s Code Act No. 12 of 2022. The Guidelines are grounded in victim-centred and trauma-informed approaches, with a strong emphasis on upholding the best interests of the child at every stage of the justice process.In addition, the DPP unveiled the second edition of the Prosecutors’ Handbook on Sexual Violence. This updated version incorporates key provisions of the Children’s Code Act to ensure that prosecutors are well-equipped to handle cases involving child victims and witnesses of sexual violence with sensitivity and respect.The launch was graced by the Guest of Honour, the Minister of Youth,

UNDERSTANDING HOW CHARGES ARE DETERMINED IN CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONSLusaka | October 8, 2025 – Following public interest in the recent case involving the death of Mr. Enock Simfukwe Kasengele in Kabwe where Ms. Maria Zaloumis and four others were arrested and initially charged with murder, questions have emerged around how criminal charges are determined, and what informs those decisions within the justice system. Without delving into the specific details of the Kabwe case, which is yet to go to trial, this article seeks to offer clarity on how the legal process works and how the roles of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) come together to ensure that justice is guided by evidence, law and process, not speculation or pressure. Addressing MisconceptionsMuch of the recent public commentary and speculation surrounding this high-profile case has implied that something improper occurred when the charge was revised from murder to manslaughter.It is important to state clearly that there was no

High Court Orders Forfeiture of Fraud-Linked Funds to the State in Major Economic Crime judgment Lusaka | October 3, 2025 – The Economic and Financial Crimes Division of the High Court has ordered the forfeiture of ZMW 8,142,215.04 to the State, after finding the funds to be the proceeds of a fraudulent gold transaction involving a Zambian company and a foreign buyer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The funds, held in FNB Account Number 62908248463, were traced to Lusaka Gold and Platinum Refinery Limited, which claimed to be exporting gold to Smolenski Trading LLC, a company based in Dubai and formerly operating under the name Epitychia General Trading LLC. Investigations revealed that the Zambian company was not licenced to trade or process minerals and had no valid export permits under the Mines and Minerals Development Act. The court found that the transaction was a sham and that the money deposited into the FNB account was part of a