Daliso Lungu, son of former president Edgar Lungu, claims that his father financed the purchase and development of seized properties, including 69 vehicles valued at over K24 million. Daliso submitted an affidavit opposing the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) application for non-conviction-based forfeiture of the properties. He argued that the vehicles and 25 pieces of land across the country were legally acquired and not tainted.
Filed at the Economic and Financial Crimes Court, the affidavit states that Edgar Lungu purchased most of the vehicles, including a Toyota Prado, Nissan NP300, Mitsubishi Pajero, and Toyota Land Cruiser, which were registered under Saloid Traders Limited, a company owned by Daliso. He also mentioned owning a filling station operated by Saloid Traders, leased to Total Energies, generating $8,000 per month since 2018.
“I had other various sources of income as the business run by Saloid Traders Limited is a family business, and the bulk of its purchase and business operations were facilitated and financed by my father. I admit that I own the properties and that they are not proceeds of crime as I genuinely acquired them,” Daliso submitted.
The affidavit further claimed that four vehicles, including three Shacman Tipper trucks and one trailer, were bought by Saloid Traders Limited on a credit sale agreement and used in normal business operations under a lease. Daliso contested the evaluation reports submitted by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), arguing they did not reflect the actual costs of purchase and development of the properties and were based on assumptions and opinions.
He also challenged the DPP’s decision to divert rentals from Total Energies into a forfeiture account, asserting that the DPP had no legal authority to do so. Daliso maintained that the properties were gifts from his father, legally acquired and not proceeds of crime, emphasizing that his work history and other sources of income were undisputed. Despite the seizure, Daliso insisted that the properties were legally acquired and not proceeds of crime.
