By LUCY PHIRI
AN INVESTMENT officer at National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) has told the Lusaka magistrate court that former Economic Advisor to President Edgar Lungu, Hibeene Mwiinga bought a flat in Ibex hill, Lusaka with a first instalment of k1.2million.
Mr. Andrew Chabala, testified that Mwiinga bought a flat after NAPSA decided to offer its sitting tenants to buy the flats.
In this matter, Mwiinga, his wife, son and company pleaded not guilty to 72 counts of being in possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime valued at more than K41 million and more than US$238, 900 cash.
Mwiinga, 60, of Mwembeshi area in Lusaka charged with his son Hakaantu Mwiinga aged 33 and his wife Mercy Mwenda aged 56 years for being in possession of properties reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime contrary to Section 71 of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act No. 19 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia.
Mwiinga, Mwenda, son and the representative of Hichikey Farm Limited Company all denied the charges.
The alleged properties include among others, a house in Kingsland City, double storey flat in NAPSA Housing Complex in Ibex Hill, motor vehicles and two properties in Chililabombwe.
Mr. Chabala submitted that Napsa decided to sell the flats and had given an offer letter to Mwiinga and other tenants on March 19, 2019 at a price of K 1, 520, 00.
“The said flats were sold at K1, 520,000 the offer terms to the sitting tenants where to pay for the sold flats within 18 months with first instalment set to them for the first six months,’’ he said.
He said NAPSA offered flat number five to Mwiinga who made deposits of payments and it handed the flat to him to be the owner.