Speaking at the launch of specialised anti-corruption courts on Thursday, Prosecutor General, Ray Goba, said the government was going to seize the assets of people convicted of corruption. He also said that under the amended money laundering regulations, even those not convicted could lose their assets. Said Goba,
Because the motivation for corruption is always profit, investigating agencies are now required to not only investigate and target the predicate criminal conduct, but also the assets and the processes that are undertaken by criminals to conceal the illicit origins or tainted nature of those assets through money laundering.
Therefore, sentencing processes must include forfeiture of assets upon conviction. The money laundering law of Zimbabwe now provides for non-conviction-based forfeiture of assets.
The courts will increasingly be called upon to deal with different types of quasi-civil applications in criminal proceedings, not only for warrants of seizure but also for interdicts, restraint and forfeiture orders.
More: Chronicle Image Credit: Zimpapers
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