By Staff Writer
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) says it will give a reward to any person who reports about property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime leading to its successful recovery.
The ACC has therefore appealed to members of the public with information of possession of any property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime to report to the nearest Commission offices.
“A reward will be given upon successful recovery of properties,” the Commission stated. This was disclosed at the Commission’s first quarter briefing.
And the ACC stated that it is applying both conviction-based and non-conviction-based forfeiture of proceeds of crime as well as the restriction and seizure of any properties suspected to be ill-gotten wealth mechanisms.
“This is expected to culminate into the increase in the recovery of funds and properties illegally obtained from the Zambians,” ACC stated
The Commission also said that it was part of the country-wide recruitment process of health workers and it has been working with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in sensitizing local government officials on adherence to prescribed Constituency Development Fund Guidelines to reduce opportunities of corruption in management of the fund, and subsequently for its equal distribution within their constituencies.
Meanwhile, the ACC stated that by the close of the quarter, it concluded and closed 13 cases while 11 arrests were made country-wide.
The Commission further disclosed that it had 61 cases before the Courts of Law and four court cases were concluded resulting into two convictions with six cases still pending.
“There were no acquittals recorded in any case before Court in the first quarter…the Commission handed over to government a total of K65, 333,046 and US$ 57,900 in recovered funds and forfeited to the State in a case of being in possession of suspected property reasonably believed to have been proceeds of crime against Margaret Chisela Musonda (Faith Musonda),” the Commission added.
The Commission said that it has come across additional information in the matter involving Musonda and the information has led to extended investigations.
