ACC drags Kasni Investment to court

THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has dragged Kasni Investment Limited to the Lusaka High Court demanding forfeiture of a Toyota Land cruiser alleged to have been brought into the country by corrupt means.

ACC has also demanded cost and any other reliefs that the court may deem fit.

In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, ACC claimed that Kasni limited was sued in its capacity as a consignee of the white Toyota Land Cruiser registration number CZ 31LW GP.

ACC alleged that in 2016, it received a report against a named suspect and others unknown, alleging corruption and fraud involving the manipulation of records of land in the Zambia Integrated Land Management Information system and production of forged land processing documents for unsuspecting members of the public at the then Ministry of Lands , Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

Further that it instituted investigations to ascertain the genuineness of the said report and that when it conducted a search at the residence of one of the suspects in Chamba Valley, the said motor vehicle was seized.

ACC claimed that investigations established that the motor vehicle entered the country through Kazungula border on May 29 2016 under customs importation permits for visitor’s vehicle and was required to be in the country for only 14 days.

It was alleged that before the expiry of the 14 days, a Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (SARPCCO) clearance number B0149567, was obtained from South Africa at Lictenburg Ezhibit Man and Enqu to export the vehicle to Zambia.

ACC claimed that Kasni limited did not obtain written authorization for final clearance of the motor vehicle in question from the Credibility and Controls Unit under the Zambia Revenue Authority but just registered it to avoid accumulation of penalties for exceeding the validity period of the temporary permit.

Further that the vehicle was eventually declared for customs purposes on bill of entry Chirundu C35939 of August 3 2016 consigned to Kasni limited and the relevant taxes were assessed on assessment notice A3504 OF January 13 2017.

ACC claimed that at the time Kasni limited was having the vehicle cleared at the point of entry, it was already in the country, which was irregular and wrong.

The commission indicated that it was of the view that the vehicle was tainted within the meaning of the forfeiture of proceeds of crime Act number 19 0f 2010.