The wife and daughter of former Zambian president Edgar Lungu were briefly detained on Thursday over the ‘illegal’ acquisition of a Lusaka estate worth $1.5 million, according to the country’s Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).
In a statement, the DEC said former First Lady Esther Lungu was arrested with her daughter Chiyeso Lungu Katete and another alleged accomplice Charles Phiri.
It said the former first lady was arrested for alleged “possession of property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.”
The property in question, which was allegedly acquired between January 2015 and December 2023, included 15 double storey flats located in the State Lodge area in Lusaka, which were constructed at an estimated cost of ZMW41.6 million (about US$1.53 million at current exchange rate).
The agency said the former first lady didn’ give plausible explanations ovr how she acquired the property.
It said Lungu Katete faced additional charges of acquiring another three flats estate in Lusaka, suspected to have been bought fraudulently.
“Further, she was arrested for possession of 1 high-cost house, four chicken runs, and associated external works in the property,” the agency added.
The three were released on bail after questioning on Thursday.
Another Lungu daughter, Tasila, is facing separate but related charges and has been ordered to appear at the DEC on Monday, the agency said.
This is the second time the former first lady has been arrested over the past eight months. She was arrested in September 2023 over corruption allegations involving cases of theft of motor vehicles and title deeds. She denies the charges.
Former president Lungu has described the arrest as politically motivated aimed at frustrating and blocking him from returning to politics ahead of 2026 elections.
Mr. Lungu who vowed to challenge the allegations against his wife and daughters, recently claimed to have been put under house arrest over his heightened political activities.
The government had denied Lungu’s claim.
JN/APA