Zambia moves to establish agency to manage recovered criminal assets

Zambia is moving to establish a specialised Criminal Assets Management Agency to professionally manage assets recovered from corruption and economic crimes, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) said.

The proposal is contained in the Draft Criminal Asset Management Bill, which is currently undergoing stakeholder consultation led by the ACC.

ACC Director-General, Daphne Chabu, disclosed the proposal during a stakeholder consultative workshop on the Draft Bill in Lusaka on Tuesday, saying effective management of recovered assets was critical to the fight against corruption and economic crime.

“Assets targeted include landed properties such as houses and farms, livestock, motor vehicles and bonds recovered through law enforcement processes. So, asset recovery must therefore not end with the seizure or forfeiture of an asset,” Chabu said.

She said systems were needed to ensure recovered assets were properly secured, professionally managed, preserved in value and ultimately disposed of or utilised in a transparent and accountable manner.

Chabu said the proposed agency would provide a dedicated mechanism for the management, preservation, maintenance, valuation and disposal of confiscated, seized and forfeited assets.

She said the development of the Draft Bill was timely, with the ACC spearheading the process in partnership with stakeholders.

“As a leading Law Enforcement Agency in the fight against corruption, the Commission recognises that effective asset management can strengthen public confidence in the fight against corruption,” she said.

Chabu warned that weak asset management systems could undermine recovery efforts as assets deteriorate, lose value, incur unnecessary costs or become vulnerable to misuse.

She said some assets, including motor vehicles, currently lose significant value while awaiting the conclusion of court proceedings because of a lack of consistent professional management.

“As stakeholders, our responsibility today is not merely to review the provisions of the Bill, but to consider whether the proposed framework is sufficiently robust, practical and responsive to the realities faced by institutions responsible for asset recovery,” Chabu said.

She said key issues for consideration included clear institutional mandates, accountability, preservation of asset value and coordination with existing laws to avoid duplication.

Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary, Joe Kalusa, described corruption as a serious threat to national development, saying it undermined public confidence in institutions, diverted resources from their intended purposes and weakened public service delivery.

Kalusa said the government remained committed to strengthening institutions, laws and systems to combat corruption.

He said the consultation on the Draft Criminal Asset Management Bill was in line with the National Policy on Anti-Corruption launched in 2024, which seeks to review, harmonise and enact legislation.

“It must also ensure that the proceeds and benefits derived from criminal conduct are identified, seized, forfeited and ultimately managed in a manner that protects their value and serves the rightful owners, who are Zambians,” he said.

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