Zambia was recently exposed to an illegal money laundering racket, spearheaded by some of the prominent lawyers and political figures of Zambia. This exposure has certainly rocked the nation’s confidence in its law and order and poses serious questions on the authority and activities of the government. This racket was busted by FIC (Financial Intelligence Centre), an intelligence agency from Zambia. FIC released a list of names, along with other information regarding the racket. This list comprised of some prominent lawyers, legal counselors, business and even political figures that are suspected of involving in this money laundering scheme. Among these prominent names, one of them is Sakwiba Sikota, the owner of Central Chambers law firm and the legal counselor of the Ventriglias.
As per the list, Avik International’s prominent lawyer Masozi Banda is presently topping the list. The amount of money laundered by him is suspected to be in millions. On the other hand, Banda has declined these allegations by saying that the money in his bank account is from the government and he will be using this for public contracts such as road construction. However, investigation unearthed suggests that the amount of money does not match with any of the contractual agreements by the government. While the agency is still investigating the matter, it is highly suspected that these lawyers are laundering money for the infamous dictator of Zambia, Edgar Lungu. Some of the other major law firms caught in this suspicious activity include Advocates from Makebi Zulu, Shamwana & Company, Linyama Associates etc. It is surprising to see that most of these law firms and agencies are owned by ex-lawyers and even ministers. This clearly suggests that level at which corruption has entered the Zambian politics.
It is extremely critical for the Zambian government to rise above this corruption and establish severe punishment for those who have been evading the law and misusing their power for corruption and illegal activities.