Court rejects corrupt official's application

Lusaka High Court judge Evans Hamaundu has rejected an application for judicial review by a former ministry of Health official allegedly involved in the theft of K10 billion.

Henry Kapoko filed an application for judicial review to challenge the seizure of his property and that of other people by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). But Judge Hamaundu, in his ruling May 21, indicated that the applicant had no direct and personal interest to the seizure of the motor vehicles and that the action ought to have been taken to court by the owners of the seized property. He said the owners of the seized motor vehicles would be in a better position than the applicant to give to the court the reasons why the motor vehicles should be released to them.

“While I am aware that the applicant has shown that the vehicles were seized pursuant to investigations being conducted against him, it is my view that the owners of those motor vehicles have a more direct and personal interest to the seizure of the vehicles than the applicant,” the judge said.