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The Financial Intelligence Commission (FIC) has told the Lusaka High Court that its planned inspection of law firm D. Findlay & Partners was lawful and could not be blocked on grounds of legal professional privilege.
In an affidavit opposing the firm’s application for judicial review, FIC inspections manager, Dennis Chisenga, said the inspection was intended to verify compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules.
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“The inspection is tethered to the clear statutory purpose of preventing money laundering and terrorism financing,” Chisenga said.
He said the FIC was not seeking privileged legal material.
“The purpose of the inspection is to ensure compliance with the FIC Act in relation to record keeping and not to extract information protected by legal professional privilege,” he added.
Chisenga said reporting entities, including law firms, were required to provide factual and administrative information such as client names, identification of politically exposed persons, bank statements and transactional records.
He said the material sought was necessary for compliance verification and did not relate to legal representation.
He dismissed claims by D. Findlay & Partners that the request was intrusive.
“This does not constitute a fishing expedition but a mandatory compliance audit,” he said.
According to the affidavit, Zambia’s preparedness for the 2027 mutual evaluation by the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group depends on adherence to compliance standards.
Chisenga warned that non-compliance by reporting entities could expose the country to “significant economic and reputational implications.”
The FIC issued a notice dated January 29, 2026, scheduling the inspection for March 2–6.
The firm, whose partner Dessislava Findlay is married to business executive Harry Findlay, filed for judicial review, arguing that handing over extensive client-related documents would breach legal professional privilege and confidentiality.
Chisenga urged the court to dismiss the application, calling it devoid of merit.
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