Court to Rule ACB’s Request on Sattar’s Accounts

Chief Resident Magistrate Madalitso Chimwaza has reserved October 12 as a date to give a ruling on Anti-Corruption Bureau’s (ACB) request to renew restriction notices on freezing accounts of businessman Zunneth Sattar.

A lawyer representing Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Benjamin Mandala, told the court that the bureau wants the accounts to remain frozen until they are done with their investigations.

Mandala said meanwhile ACB has written the banks request for some information as ACB froze the accounts in 2021.

However, a lawyer representing owners of 25 accounts, Kalekeni Kaphale, claims ACB is sleeping on duty, arguing that by now they could have used their power to demand information from the banks and conclude their investigations.

Kaphale said ACB has been renewing the restriction notices for at least two times, and before they request a renewal, they should give an account of how they have exercised their statutory powers under the corrupt practices act.

He argued that they have the power to demand information from any bank, even for that information to be released within 7 days