Claim
The Daily Nation Zambia newspaper published an article purporting that former Republican President Edgar Lungu’s lodge had been seized by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) according to a notice served on the former Head of State dated September 19, 2022. According to the article, it is alleged that Crest Lodge, which is property No. LUS/38479 was seized under Section 15 of the Money Laundering Act No. 14 of 2021 as there were reasonable grounds to believe that the property was liable for seizure.
Rating Justification
iVerify Zambia fact-checking process has determined as misleading, the assertion that Crest lodge, which is property No. LUS/38479, belongs to the former Republican President, Mr. Edgar Lungu. In a statement released by the Drug Enforcement Commission, the Director General, Ms. Mary Chirwa stated that DEC had removed the notice of seizure after exhausting its inquiries into the property and learning that it did not belong to Mr. Lungu. According to Ms. Chirwa, DEC investigations revealed that property No. LUS/38478 was owned by Mr. Charles Phiri, and not Mr. Lungu as had been previously declared. Although DEC had issued the seizure notice in President Lungu’s name, she said that the verification process had shown and confirmed that the property in question actually belonged to Mr. Phiri. Therefore, the assertion that Crest lodge belongs to former Republican President, Mr. Edgar Lungu is misleading.
