A civil servant yesterday told the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court that she sold a house at K1.6 million to Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development Ronald Chitotela but that the property’s contract of sale was in another person’s name.

Mary Lubinga, a Ministry of Local Government worker, said when she queried her lawyer why the house’s contract of sale was in a different person’s name, the lawyer told her that it was not an issue

Lubinga said that she sold plot number 148 of farm 50A situated in Makeni to Chitotela between July 3, 2016 and October 2016.

She said that she was approached by Mrs Chitotela through a real estate agent and later met the Housing and Infrastructure Minister when he came to view the property.

The State witness further told the Court that she sold the said house to Chitotela at K1.6 million from the initial price of K2.5 million.
Lubinga said the transaction was processed in Chitotela’s office at the Ministry of Housing and infrastructure.

This is the matter in which Chitotela and three others are facing four counts of concealing and being in possession of properties suspected to be proceeds of crime.

In the first count that Chitotela, Gregory Chibanga and Brut Holdings Limited, between July 3, 2016 and October 30, 2018 in Lusaka, concealed plot number 148 of farm 50A situated in Makeni disguised in the names of Diris Mukange, property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime.

In the second count, the trio between the same dates is accused of concealing part of subdivision A lot 22183/M situated in Ibex Hill, Lusaka, disguised in the name of Diris Mukange, property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.
In the third count, Diris Mukange between the same dates jointly and whilst acting together with other unknown people possessed lot number 148 of farm 50A situated in Makeni in Lusaka, property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.

In the fourth count, Mukange between the same dates possessed part of subdivision A of lot 22183/M situated in Ibex Hill.
Trial continues.