The High Court is set to hear an application from the State on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, seeking to permanently forfeit assets valued at K1.7 billion from former presidential security aide Norman Chisale. These assets are believed to have been acquired through illicit means.
The assets in question were initially seized in 2021, when the court ordered that Chisale’s properties be placed under the control of the State as per the Financial Crimes Act until the conclusion of the forfeiture proceedings, or until further court orders were issued.
This Tuesday’s hearing will mark the commencement of the forfeiture proceedings, during which the State aims to make a case for the full forfeiture of Chisale’s assets. The offices of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General have submitted the application under Section 72 of the Financial Crimes Act, requesting that Chisale’s properties be forfeited to the government.
According to court documents, the defendants have been instructed to appear before the Judge in open court on November 5 for the hearing. The notice mentions that sworn statements from various individuals, including Isaac Nkhoma, Jack Vintenga Banda, Hastings Ludzu, John Minofu, and Pirirani Masanjala, will be submitted to support the State’s application. Defendants wishing to contest the application must file and serve their sworn statements in opposition prior to the hearing.
Judge Anneline Kanthambi will preside over this case.
Chisale’s lawyer, Chancy Gondwe, argues that the case is politically motivated and designed to distract from the “significant challenges” facing the nation. “We assert that there is no valid case here; rather, this is an intimidation tactic against our client. We remain committed to defending his rights and reputation,” Gondwe stated.
In 2021, the High Court granted an order allowing the State to seize Chisale’s assets, which the government alleges were acquired illegally. The list of seized property includes a staggering 86 motor vehicles and 21 real estate properties, comprising residential houses and commercial buildings located in various suburbs of Blantyre and Lilongwe, as well as Chisale’s home district of Ntcheu and other areas, including Dedza and Mangochi.
The seized vehicles comprise a range of luxury models, including 48 Toyota vehicles such as Prado, Noah, and Land Cruiser, alongside three Mercedes-Benz and various other brands including BMW, Audi, and Nissan. Some vehicles were registered only with chassis numbers.
The respondents in this case include Norman Paulos Chisale, Chimwemwe Paulosi (trading as Namauya Investments), Deborah Zimatha Chisale, Esnart Guga, Flony Guga, Jannet Fatch Kamanga, and Christina Mvula, listed as the first to sixth respondents, respectively. Of the seized vehicles, 63 are documented under Norman P. Chisale as the importer, while 23 vehicles lack specified importer details.
