Former Minister of Defense Geoffrey Mwamba is facing 24 accusations, including possession of property thought to be the proceeds of crime, according to an Economic and Financial Crimes Court.
Mwamba’s defense has already been started by Magistrate Sanford Ngobola, and it is scheduled to begin on March 1, 2023.
From the evidence shown in court thus far, Magistrate Ngobola determined that the prosecution team had established a prima facie case against him.
I have fully considered the evidence so far placed on record as well as the submissions by both the state and the defence and I find that the appearance of the evidence in the present case is such that there is a premafacie case.
“I find the accused person with a case to answer on all the 24 counts, in light of the foregoing, I find the accused with a case to answer and put him on his defence on all the 24counts,” magistrate Ngobola said.
Eight allegations of conflict of interest and 24 counts of possession of property allegedly the proceeds of crime are included in this case against a politician and businessmen.
On the 24, there are eight conflicts of interest, 15 possessions of property thought to be the proceeds of crime, and one money laundering charge.
According to one of the counts, Mwamba, doing business as Arizona Marketing and Distributor, was in possession of US$399,985 between January 1 and June 30, 2016, through a bank account in the company’s name.
It is reasonable to suspect that the money is stolen property.
Furthermore, it is alleged that between January 1 and December 31, 2019, the accused owned US$499,985 through the bank account of Germins Motorways Limited, which was reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of crime.
Further charges state that the accused had K10 million through his Invest Trust Bank bank account between March 1, 2020, and March 31, 2020, which is property that could have been the proceeds of crime.
Additionally, it is claimed that he possessed $670,000 in additional assets through his bank account that were possibly the proceeds of crime.
