Former First Lady Thandiwe Banda has sued the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over the allegedly unlawful seizure of apartments belonging to the Mpundu Trust Limited on Leopards Hill Road in Lusaka.
Mrs. Banda has filed the suit before the Lusaka High Court seeking compensation for damages suffered as a result of lost time on the real estate development project, the reversal of the restriction notice to lease or dispose of the property issued by the ACC against her property, as well as costs.
She wants in the alternative, the Court to annul the restriction notice and allow her to lease out the property and employ property managers.
The former First Lady filed an affidavit in support of originating summons in the Principal Registry through her lawyers of Central Chambers yesterday. She contended that Mpundu Trust Limited was established in 2009 to look after the interests of her children and their future education and health needs.
Ms Banda said ever since the notice was issued, she had never been informed of the alleged offence under investigation by the ACC which led to the seizure of property.
“I reasonably believe that no investigations are being conducted and the issue of restriction notices is an act of harassment and amounts to abuse of authority by the respondent. The restriction notice has scared any possible tenants in the project and the whole project is in jeopardy,” Ms Banda said.
Ms Banda said the issuance of the restriction notices was unreasonable and defied logic.
She said the Commission was well aware that the funding for the project was dependent upon the project being leased out and that she has not committed any crime in its acquisition.