LUSAKA, Zambia |July 22, 2025 In a heartfelt vote of thanks delivered during the official launch of the Guidelines for the Prosecution of Economic and Financial Crimes, Ms. Mwangala Iris Mwala, Principal State Advocate in the Taxation and Financial Crimes Department of the National Prosecution Authority (NPA), expressed deep appreciation to the various stakeholders whose contributions made the new guidelines a reality. Ms. Mwala extended special thanks to the EnACT Zambia Programme, under the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), for their instrumental support in the development of the guidelines. “Without your support, these guidelines would not have been possible,” Ms. Mwala stated, recognising the crucial role that GIZ played in shaping a framework that will greatly enhance Zambia’s capacity to effectively prosecute economic and financial crimes. She emphasised that the guidelines will serve as a critical resource for prosecutors, enabling them to handle complex financial crime cases with increased confidence and expertise. “These guidelines provide us with the tools

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), successfully obtained a non conviction based forfeiture order in a matter which was argued before a panel of three High Court Judges, Honourable Justices Susan Wanjelani, Pixie Yangailo, and Vincent Siloka. The case, initiated on 20 January 2025, centered around Mimy Eid Alsyed Abouelnaga, an Egyptian national who, according to immigration records, entered Zambia on 30 July 2024 under a single-entry visitor visa that prohibited any business activity. However, in a routine immigration operation on August 6, 2024 in Lusaka’s Rhodes Park area, Abouelnaga was found openly marketing household goods from a Toyota Noah (Reg: ALL 8693). He even sold a blue blanket to one of the officers during the operation, an act that ultimately formed the basis of the case. Upon interrogation and verification, it became clear that Abouelnaga was in direct breach of the Immigration and Deportation Act No. 18 of 2010, specifically Sections 54 and 56(1), which prohibit engaging in prescribed

The National Prosecution Authority today kicked off the Kabwe leg of it’s training of prosecutors in Sexual Violence and Child Protection.The trainings sponsored by UNICEF are based on the 2nd edition of the NPA’s Sexual Violence Handbook and the newly developed Prosecutors’ Guidelines for Children in the Justice System. 25 participants have been drawn from Kabwe and Itezhi-Tezhi districts respectively.The training team is being lead by Mrs Chali Mbewe Hambayi, head of the Gender Based Crimes and Child Protection Department. Her co facilitators are Mr Chipola Bako ,head of Lusaka Province and senior Public Prosecutor Mrs Grace Muhumpu.The trainings are aimed at ensuring that Prosecutors conduct victim and child friendly prosecutions which prevent retraumatisation and foster perpetrator accountability.The NPA is desirous of building a cadre of Prosecutors that are able to robustly implement trauma informed approaches in the prosecuton of cases across the country and to ensure that there is standardisation and uniformity in the manner sexual violence and cases

Lusaka | July 15, 2025 – Zambia’s fight against organised crime took a bold step forward yesterday as the learned Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri SC, opened a high-level training on Non-Conviction Based Forfeiture (NCBF), bringing together all major enforcement and oversight agencies under one roof. The week-long session, hosted by the Basel Institute at the Intercontinental Hotel, is being attended by representatives from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), the Judiciary, the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), and others. In an unfiltered opening address, DPP Phiri tore into misconceptions surrounding asset forfeiture laws, describing them as misunderstood even by the most seasoned senior advocates. He emphasised that Non Conviction Based Forfeiture is not about political persecution but it is about crippling sophisticated criminal networks driven by greed and hidden behind polished veneers. “We’ve been accused of having a poverty mentality. Of targeting individuals. But let’s be clear, this law targets organised

In a resounding confirmation of Zambia’s intolerance for hate speech, the Kasama High Court has upheld the conviction of former government minister Chishimba Kambwili, dismissing his appeal against a five-month sentence with hard labour. The ruling, delivered by a panel of three High Court Judges, comes nearly two years after Kambwili’s controversial remarks on a local radio program which were deemed to be hateful and demeaning toward the Tonga-speaking people. The original conviction was handed down on November 30, 2023, by the Subordinate Court in Kasama. Kambwili had been found guilty under Section 70(1) of the Penal Code, which criminalises expressing or showing hatred, ridicule, or contempt against individuals based on tribe or place of origin. His inflammatory statements were made during a live broadcast at Radio Mano Community Radio Station on August 2, 2021. The court ruled that the remarks were not only deliberate and unlawful, but also dangerous in their potential to spark tribal tensions and threaten national

Lusaka, 10 July 2025 – Senior staff from the National Prosecution Authority, Financial Intelligence Centre, Anti‑Corruption Commission, Zambia Police Service, and other Inter‑Agency Framework institutions convened at the Southern Sun Hotel for an important Scoping Mission on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Financial Investigations & Asset Recovery Curriculum Implementation. With all 21 member agencies of the Framework having formally endorsed the curriculum in January 2024, the focus turned to breathing life into it through strategic planning. Developed under Zambia’s Inter‑Agency Framework and funded by the EU AML‑CFT ESCAY programme, the curriculum standardises training across law enforcement, prosecution, and asset-recovery functions. It blends regional best practices with local insights to create a robust, unified toolkit for financial crime response. The Learned Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri SC, framed the day as the vital turning point between intention and implementation: “Today’s meeting is… the first concrete step toward breathing life into a curriculum that has remained dormant for

No pause. No delay. From the moment of their inauguration, the newly appointed NPA Board – led by Chairperson Mr. Moses Phiri signalled its intent to get straight to work. Within minutes, the Board transitioned from ceremony to an intensive orientation with senior management, setting a tone of urgency, purpose, and engagement. Mr. Phiri is not a figurehead. He brings hands-on leadership, clarity of purpose, and a readiness to align the Board’s oversight with the institution’s operational demands. They have reported for duty.Fully present.Fully engaged.And already to work.

When Honourable Minister of Justice, Princess Kasune, visited the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) on 2nd July 2025, it was far more than a ceremonial appearance at the inauguration of the newly appointed Board. It marked the fulfilment of a quiet, personal commitment made at the very outset of her tenure. Appointed on 28th June 2024, the Minister was soon approached by the learned Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri, SC, with a singular and pressing appeal: to prioritise the appointment of a governing Board for the Authority. Made  in measured tones, the request struck a chord. “I promised him,” she recalled, “I said I will work on it.” Reflecting on the moment, she added, “I told myself, if I was to do just one thing for the NPA, it would be this. And here we are – just one year into my office.” Her first official visit to the NPA, therefore, was not only historic – it was

Lusaka, Zambia | 02.07.2025 – The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) has officially ushered in its newly inaugurated Board, ending a four-year hiatus in statutory governance and setting the tone for a well-structured, accountable, and forward-moving institution. The inauguration, held in Lusaka at the NPA Head Office, marked what the learned Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri SC, described as a critical moment for the Authority’s internal governance, institutional resilience, and prosecutorial strategy. “Today’s inauguration means we can begin to take even more giant steps as outlined in our strategic plan,” said the DPP, noting that while the absence of a board had not compromised the constitutional independence of the Office of the DPP, it had delayed crucial internal systems essential for sustainable institutional performance.He highlighted the Authority’s continued commitment to prosecutorial excellence, highlighting key priorities such as financial crimes, asset recovery, and inter-agency collaboration: “We are resolved to take profit out of crime. There are no sacred

The Economic and Financial Crimes Division of the High Court has dismissed former Deputy Inspector-General of Police Charity Katanga’s appeal, upholding her February 2024 conviction, three-year sentence, and forfeiture of assets to the State. She is expected to begin serving her sentence today, with further details to follow. CASE RECAPConviction & Sentence (Feb 19, 2024)-Katanga was found guilty of possessing ten Higer buses valued at over K26 million which were deemed to be proceeds of crime under the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act. She was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment . ASSET FORFEITURE (Jul 2, 2024)Following her conviction, the Lusaka Subordinate Court ordered the forfeiture of the ten buses and K1,522,005.15 from her Chibeka Express Ltd account to the State, confirming these assets as tainted . APPEAL THROWN-OUT –The High Court has now dismissed her appeal, fully sustaining the original conviction, sentence, and forfeiture orders. Katanga will begin serving her three-year sentence as of today. BACKGROUNDBetween 2017 and 2022, Katanga used