In the application, the state mentioned specifically that Antonio and his wife be restrained from all the monies, which are in their joint account 0040241102851 at Access Bank Ndola, Zambia. The magistrate court even restrained Ventriglias from accessing their properties in Fitente Road and Kabinga Road in Northrise, Ndola.
An official declaration filed in support of the application by the criminal investigations department officer of Zambia Police Service, Chileshe Mukuka in Lusaka indicated that on June 2013, he got a report of theft, which was filed by Andrew Kamanga, one of the directors of Portland Cement Zambia.
In the report it was mentioned that the Ventriglias between January 2010 and December 2012 fraudulently stole K4 million from the account of Zambezi Portland Cement, the cement manufacturing plant in Ndola, on dates unknown and used the money for their personal benefits.
The affidavit reads, “Upon instituting investigations, I searched various accounts held by the accused persons and the complainant’s company, where I came across various transfers of monies from the company account.”
Mr. Mukuka even found a letter, which dealt with funds transfer of about K2 million. The letter was signed by the Ventriglia couple instructing the bank to transfer the said amount from the company account to their joint account at Access Bank. He was even successful in tracing the suspected stolen funds in their joint account. It was found out that the couple used a part of the stolen money for buying the above-mentioned properties in Ndola and the remaining part still remained unused in their account.
So, the chief resident magistrate in Ndola, Paul Chisha suspecting the Ventriglias of stealing K4 million from Zambezi Portland Cement declared, “It is hereby ordered and directed that money held in the joint account at Access Bank and the named properties be restrained from any dealing by the accused, their agents until investigations are concluded.”