Africa-Press – Zambia. A banker has told the Lusaka Magistrates Court that former Foreign Affairs minister Joseph Malanji had no illegal transactions in his bank account at Stanbic bank.
Eugene Kana, the private relations manager also told the court that as of 2017, Mr Malanji held a platinum account after being declared as the high earning client.
Kana was testifying in a matter in which Malanji and former secretary to the treasury, Fredson Yamba are charged with 10 counts of willful failure to comply with laid down procedures and possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Yamba is charged with two counts of willful failure to comply with laid down procedures while Malanji is facing eight counts of being in possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
When the matter came up for continued trial, today, Kana narrated how some Drug Enforcement Commission -DEC officers requested for some bank statements and mandate files for Malanji.
“Sometime in March 2021, the bank was approached by DEC officers who requested for the customer bank statements and customer mandate files for Mr Joseph Malanji. I accessed the bank system called FINACAL using the username and bank password to retrieve the bank statement. The dates In question where from October 2020 to December 2021,” said Kana.
“As for the customer mandate files, our efforts to locate the files failed but we do keep electronic copies. The officers did return after some time and requested details of specific transactions on the bank statements. I took screenshots, had them printed and sent them. The document were later handed over to the officers from DEC.”
And in cross examination, asked by senior counsel Makebi Zulu on what type of account Honorable Malanji had, the witness said Platinum.
Further asked if as at 2017, it was determined that honorable Malanji was a high earning client, Mr Kana responded in affirmative.
And asked if there was any illegal transactions in his bank transfers and deposit, the witness said no.
“As of 2017, was it determined that Joseph Malanji was the high earning client?,” Asked Makebi
“Yes”, responded the witness
“And there was no report of suspicious deposits?, ” Asked Makebi.
“Not that I’m aware of,” said the witness.
“Was there anything wrong with the transations in his bank account?,” Makebi asked.
Mr Kana responded saying “No, there wasn’t,”.
The matter has been adjourned to June 18, 2024.
For More News And Analysis About Zambia Follow Africa-Press
