KCM Liquidator Lungu Pleads Not Guilty To Theft, Money Laundering

Konkola Copper Mines provisional liquidator Milingo Lungu has pleaded not guilty to charges of theft and money laundering, which the prosecution say totalled some K4.4 million. 

The 43-year-old lawyer appeared before Lusaka Magistrate Felix Kaoma on Tuesday and denied the accusations. A trial has been set for between November 29 and December 1. 

Lungu was appointed by the previous Patriotic Front government in May 2019, to oversee the breakup and sale of KCM. This caused uproar with the mine’s private owners Vedanta Resources, who challenged the appointment at an arbitral tribunal in London. In July, the tribunal ruled that the government’s investment arm, ZCCM-IH, was in breach of its shareholder agreement and that Lungu should be discharged immediately. 

Lungu was later arrested by the Drug Enforcement Commission and brought before a court on October 13. He was initially accused of stealing K110.4million from KCM between May 22 2019 and September 28 2021, however this was later reduced to K4.4 million. 

Lungu later appeared before Lusaka’s Chief Resident Magistrate Dominic Makalicha on October 19 but his case was delayed and reallocated to Magistrate Kaoma. Appearing before the court again on Tuesday, Lungu had the charges read to him and pleaded not guilty. 

The prosecution team leading the case against Lungu includes the deputy chief state advocate for the taxation and crimes department Gamaliel Zimba, as well as principal state advocate Gracilia Mulenga, senior state advocate Margaret Simuchimba and state advocate Sipholiano Phiri.