Zambia’s former First Lady, Esther Lungu and her daughter Chiyeso Katete have been arrested in Lusaka over the possession of properties suspected to be proceeds of crime.
They were detained alongside another close relative, Charles Phiri Former President Edgar Lungu said the family would challenge the charges in court.
The former president has been accusing the government of victimizing him and members of his Patriotic Front (PF) party to block his return to politics ahead of the 2026 elections. He recently claimed to have been put under house arrest over his heightened political activities, although the government denied it.
In September 2023, his wife was arrested over corruption allegations, involving cases of theft and title deeds, which she denied.
The former first lady was arrested on suspicion of fraudulently acquiring a luxurious real estate in Lusaka. According to reports she owned 15 houses situated in the State Lodge area of Lusaka’s Chongwe town, reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Several former ministers, government officials and members of Lungu’s family have been on the radar of Zambia’s investigative agencies in an anti-corruption campaign launched by President Hakainde Hichilema.
RN
