Bailiffs have pounced on Nakonde District Council seizing various equipment including earth-moving equipment recently procured using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

The seized two tipper trucks, one of them which was bought using CDF together with a grader and a front-end loader, which are also part of the seized properties.

Also seized are a TATA 22-seater bus and three other utility vehicles, namely two Toyota Hilux and one Mazda.

The bailiffs swung into action following a supreme court order directing Nakonde Town Council to pay ZAMESCO Company a sum of K4.4 million in a judgment passed on 17th February, 2023.

The K4.4 million arises from a truck parking contract entered into between the Nakonde Council and ZAMESCO in 2010 which the local authority abrogated.

Nakonde Town Council Public Relations Officer, Florence Sichula, confirmed the seizure of the council earth moving equipment and other properties during a press briefing held at Nakonde Town Council Chamber yesterday.

She explained that the local authority terminated the contract between the Council and ZAMESCO Ltd in 2010, but ZAMESCO Ltd sought legal litigation in 2014 in the High Court, a case the local authority won in 2015.

However, ZAMESCO Ltd appealed the High Court judgment in the Supreme Court in 2016, and on February 27 last year the Supreme Court ruled in favour of ZAMESCO and ordered the local authority to pay the company K4.4 million.

She said the Supreme Court ruling requires the local authority to pay ZAMESCO Ltd the sum of K4.4 million in one year, failure to which the court will get hold of any council property that it shall deem fit.