The Economic and Financial Crimes Court has ruled that 43,903 Mukula logs must be forfeited to the state after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Gilbert Phiri,argued they were illegally harvested.
According to the case, the logs,collected from various parts of the country were deemed “tainted property” since they were obtained without proper concession licenses.
The court sitting: High Court Judges Pixie Yangailo, Vincent Siloka and Ian Mabbolobbolo,reviewed evidence, including a report from the Zambia National Service (ZNS), which indicated that some logs were abandoned before a nationwide mopping exercise.
Interestingly, court documents showed a discrepancy in the numbers,44,323 logs were recorded, yet the application only sought forfeiture of 43,903. The court however stuck to the lower figure.
Ultimately, no one came forward to claim the logs despite public notices, leading the court to declare them proceeds of crime under the Forest Act and the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act.
