By LUCY PHIRI
The alleged owner of the infamous 48 houses now (51) in Chalala has told the court that the flats belonged to a Tanzanian whom he partnered with and helped to buy land in Zambia.
In his defence, Charles Mukomena Loyana told magistrate Faides Hamaundu sitting in the Economic and Financial Crimes Court that the owners of the said flats were of Tanzanian Nationality by the names of Zuberi Senga Bigawa and Mr Uziel Basire, since they were foreigners who cannot own land in Zambia.
In this matter, Loyana, 51, and Susan Sinkala Loyana, 46, are charged with two counts of concealing of property suspected to be proceeds of crime contrary to section 71 Sub Section 1 of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act No. 19 of 2010.
The couple pleaded not guilty to two charges of corrupt practices involving K37 million.
Loyana testified that his cousin Petty Shipalo approached him and told him that he had Tanzanian friends by the name of Zuberi Senga Bigawa of Tanzania who was looking for land on behalf of his cousin also of Tanzania by the name of Uziel Bashire.
“Zuberi had disclosed to me that his cousin has directed him and authorized him to find a trusted Zambian who he would partner with and help them purchase land in Zambia since they are known as foreigners and were not allowed to own land,’’ he said.
He narrated that Bashire approached him and told him that his cousin Zuberi was selling land and he told Bashire to arrange a meeting to get more details from Zuberi.
“The meeting was arranged, I met up with Zuberi who told me that his cousin Bashire had authorized him to manage a Zambian land and wanted someone who could help him and in that meeting he showed me the power of attorney. Having looked at the power of attorney, I considered that Zuberi and Bashire had intentions to invest in Zambia,’’ he said.
Loyana told the court that he decided to take up the business opportunity to help Zuberi and Bashire at a commission of about five perent.
Trial continues.
“We discussed the business and later in 2012 he gave me the power of attorney to act on behalf of Zuberi Investment in Zambia, power of states “Nominate a trusted Zambian of special skill to negotiate, sign any document for the execution of any contract, residential land, buildings, houses and plot. It also read Special Power of attorney from Zuberi to Loyana and was signed by him,’’ he said.
Loyana disclosed that the document also indicated that all properties to be purchased by him on behalf of Bashire.
“With the power of attorney in my hands, I started preparing for land, we then came across an advert in the Post newspaper where Lombe Bwalya and Associates had advertised land. I and Zuberi contacted Bwalya and an agent came to show us land which was available and we viewed the land. Zuberi was happy, I was happy too,’’ he said.
Zuberi sent K60million rebased to Loyana on different occasions and other amounts on different dates to buy land on his behalf and build some flats of which both signed in a cash book.
“We purchased 22 plots at more than K1 million and we paid K1,065,000 million to Lombe Bwalya and we remained with about K400,000 which we were still owning at the time we were given instructions from ACC that we couldn’t continue,’’ he said.
Trial continues
