Lusaka | July 8, 2026 – “The proceeds of crime must no longer find safe harbour in Zambia.” That was the rallying cry from the Learned Director of Public Prosecutions Gilbert A. Phiri, SC, as he launched a Financial Investigations and Asset Recovery pilot training programme in Lusaka today, a five-week course designed to ensure that illicit wealth is stripped from offenders and returned to society.
Speaking at the launch ceremony held at SAIPAR, the Learned DPP declared that the initiative marks a significant escalation in Zambia’s fight against corruption, money laundering, fraud, tax evasion, wildlife crime, and cyber-enabled offences. The programme brings together 25 participants from 15 institutions, including the Anti-Corruption Commission, Drug Enforcement Commission, Zambia Police Service, Financial Intelligence Centre, Zambia Revenue Authority, Immigration Department, Bank of Zambia, Securities and Exchange Commission, Pensions and Insurance Authority, Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Forestry Department, Cyber Security Agency, and the National Anti-Terrorism Centre.
“Financial crime has evolved considerably over the years,” the DPP said in his keynote address. “Criminal enterprises are increasingly sophisticated, technologically enabled, and transnational in nature. The proceeds of crime are often concealed through complex networks of bank accounts, shell companies, nominee arrangements, digital platforms, and cross-border transactions. As law enforcement agencies, regulators, prosecutors, and investigators, we must evolve at the same pace, if not faster.”
The DPP emphasised that financial investigation is no longer optional but indispensable. “Every serious criminal investigation should ask not only who committed the offence, but also who benefited, where the proceeds went, who assisted in concealing them, and how those assets can be recovered for the benefit of society.”
But the road to today’s launch was neither short nor smooth.
Mr. Norville Connolly, Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI) Country Director, who joined the launch virtually revealed that the journey to launching this course was marked by false starts and dead ends.
The Irish Embassy backed the idea from the outset, with the understanding that 20 percent of international best practice would be channeled through renowned institutions like Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau. Initial attempts to partner with an Irish university fell through. Later engagements with the University of Zambia also failed. For a time, the entire project hung in the balance.
The pilot course, funded by the Irish Government through Irish Rule of Law International, is designed to standardise and elevate the practice of financial investigations across Zambia’s criminal justice system.
Participants will receive practical training in legal frameworks, money laundering detection, sources of financial information, evidential issues, international cooperation, and asset recovery. Simulation exercises will replicate real-world investigations to ensure that skills are immediately applicable in the field.
Welcoming guests, SAIPAR Executive Director Professor Manenga Ndulo described the initiative as “ambitious, demanding and deeply impactful.” He noted that the growing complexity of financial and economic crimes demands advanced investigative and prosecutorial capacities.
“This course will give learners a solid grounding on applicable legal frameworks, key investigative skills, and analysis techniques needed to detect financial crime,” Professor Ndulo said. “The emphasis will be on local content, while also exposing learners to international trends, best practices and cross-border topics such as digital assets.”
The programme will be delivered by experienced local trainers from the NPA alongside international experts, ensuring both a localised and global perspective. It features a mix of in-person workshops and online training sessions over five weeks, culminating in a second in-person workshop with training from lawyers working with the global law firm Ropes & Gray LLP.
Drawing inspiration from international examples, the DPP cited Singapore and Rwanda as models where strict consequences for corruption have fuelled economic transformation. “A public officer or politician indulging in crime must be ruined and never have to save the public again because they would have abused public confidence,” he asserted.
Professor Ndulo expressed gratitude to the Irish Embassy for providing the grant, to the NPA leadership, particularly Gracilia Mulenga, Deputy Chief State Advocate, and Mukuma Chipawa, Assistant Director and Principal State Advocate, for their dedication in driving the programme forward, and to the International Senior Lawyers Project for their curriculum review and module delivery support.
The DPP concluded with a sobering measure of success by saying that the programme will not be judged by certificates issued but by “assets recovered, convictions secured, criminal enterprises dismantled, and public resources protected.” He urged participants to approach the training with seriousness and commitment, describing them as “pioneers of a sustainable national framework for financial investigations and asset recovery.”
The pilot course, the first of its kind jointly undertaken by SAIPAR and IRLI, will be evaluated upon completion to assess the feasibility of offering similar training in other critical areas in future.