A Zambian police officer has caused a national controversy after reportedly releasing 13 detainees from a police station on New Year’s Eve while drunk. The officer, Detective Inspector Titus Phiri, was allegedly intoxicated when he let the suspects out of the Leonard Cheelo Police Station in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia.

According to police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga, Phiri forcefully took the keys to the holding cells from Constable Serah Banda and then unlocked both the male and female cells. He told the detainees they were free to go, allowing them to leave the station to celebrate the new year.

Out of the 15 people in custody, 13 managed to escape. The individuals were facing serious charges, including assault, robbery, and burglary, which raised concerns about the officer’s actions.

“Detective Inspector Phiri unlocked the cells and told the suspects they were free to cross into the new year. Thirteen of them escaped,” Hamoonga said. After releasing the detainees, Phiri fled the scene.

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Authorities have launched an operation to find the escaped individuals, calling the officer’s actions a breach of public trust and a threat to community safety. Inspector Phiri was later arrested and is currently in police custody, awaiting legal action.

The Zambia Police Service has condemned the officer’s behavior, stressing its commitment to maintaining law and order and vowing to take strong action against any officers who abuse their power.

In a similar incident, a police officer in Kenya was arrested for being drunk while assigned to oversee exams at Kimonio Primary School in the Marioshoni area.

The officer, identified as Joshua Kimathi Milikau, was reported missing by the center manager, Elijah Biwott, who found him sleeping in the teachers’ quarters.

Milikau appeared intoxicated, and he was disarmed. Richard Mburu was then assigned to take over the officer’s duties during the English composition exam.

Drunk Cop Frees 13 Suspects from Custody for New Year Bash

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Controversy surrounds a company associated with Nairobi businessman Stanley Livondo, which is alleged to have provided kickbacks for a $21 million (Sh2.7 billion) tender awarded by Zambia’s army and Ministry of Defence for the renovation of a military hospital in Lusaka.

The Anti-Corruption Commission of Zambia is investigating Kenya’s DLS International Group Limited due to allegations that a portion of a $5.3 million (Sh683.05 million) payment made last year for the contract was subsequently transferred to the personal accounts of various private Zambian business owners and army officials.

Beyond the suspected kickbacks to Zambian officials, the anti-corruption body is scrutinizing how a newly registered company secured such a substantial taxpayer-funded contract without any prior experience in construction or security services.

The cash transfer made by the Ministry of Defence in Lusaka on August 10, 2023, was initially flagged by Nairobi’s Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), which requested DLS International to clarify the purpose of the funds deposited into its bank account.

In its defense, the company asserted it had a contract with the Zambian Ministry of Defence for supplying, installing, and equipping two hospitals, and upgrading the Maina Soko Medical Centre in Lusaka to a UN Level IV referral hospital, at a total contract value of $21.2 million.

The contract raised concerns because DLS International was incorporated in Kenya on February 21, 2023, just six months before the contract payment was made.

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Stanley Livondo, the principal owner of DLS International with 350 shares, is joined by shareholders David Kiguongo Kanja (300 shares), Simon Njoroge Ndung’u (300 shares), and Agnes Naini Walyaula (50 shares). Kanja is an architect and Ndung’u is a quantity surveyor, both recognized by the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors.

Details about Walyaula could not be verified by The Nation at the time of publication.

Livondo, a prominent figure for DLS International in Zambia and a frequent spokesperson at press events dismissed the corruption and money laundering allegations against his company as mere “street gossip.”

He maintained that despite DLS International’s brief existence before securing the contract, his firm fulfilled its obligations.

“There’s nothing to these claims. Yes, my company was registered in 2023, but is that a crime? I delivered everything as promised, and I don’t heed street gossip,” Livondo stated in WhatsApp messages.

However, Simon Ndung’u denied any association with DLS International, despite his name and contact details being listed in official business records.

“That is not my company, I am sorry,” he said before ending the call.

Thabo Kawana, Principal Secretary in Zambia’s Information Ministry, recently led a media tour of the Lusaka hospital and refuted the corruption allegations against DLS.

The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) of Zambia has highlighted the payment to DLS International in its 2023 report on money laundering and terror financing.

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The FIC report notes, “A foreign-owned company, DLS International, was incorporated in February 2023 and opened a bank account in April 2023. In June 2023, the company received a $21 million contract from Government Institution AR. By August 2023, DLS received an advance payment of $5.6 million from AR.”

The report further reveals concerns about the company’s lack of previous work experience and the direct bidding procurement process used, which did not require prior experience, raising suspicions due to DLS’s recent establishment.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has sent relevant documents to its Zambian counterparts following Lusaka’s request, potentially paving the way for legal action against the businessman involved.

Zambia has requested mutual legal assistance (MLA) from Kenya’s Attorney-General’s office.

“The EACC confirmed receiving a request for mutual legal assistance from Zambian authorities to aid in investigations where DLS International Group Ltd is implicated. The Commission has provided the requested information and documents,” EACC spokesperson Eric Ngumbi reported.

The MLA request has prompted the EACC to initiate its probe focusing on the money laundering aspects of DLS International’s transactions with the Zambian Defence Ministry.

“The EACC is now conducting its investigation into the money laundering elements while Zambian authorities continue their investigation into procurement and related offenses,” Ngumbi added.

Controversy Erupts Over Kickbacks in $21 Million Zambian Military Hospital Tender Linked to Nairobi Businessman Stanley Livondo

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Zambia’s former First Lady Esther Lungu and her daughter Chiyeso Katete have been detained for owning properties suspected to be proceeds of crime.

They were apprehended on Thursday in Lusaka, along with a relative named Charles Phiri, as per authorities.

Ms. Lungu could not provide a reasonable explanation for acquiring a $30,000 (£24,000) estate in Lusaka, according to the state anti-drug agency.

Former President Edgar Lungu stated the family would contest the charges in court.

He has accused the government of targeting him and members of his Patriotic Front (PF) party to prevent his political comeback ahead of the 2026 elections.

He also claimed to have been placed under house arrest due to his increased political activities, though the government denied this.

Last September, his wife faced arrest over corruption charges, including theft of motor vehicles and title deeds, which she denied.

On Thursday, Ms. Lungu, 66, was arrested for allegedly fraudulently acquiring a luxury property in Lusaka, as stated by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).

The DEC reported that Ms. Lungu owned “15 white double-story flats” in Lusaka’s Chongwe town, suspected to be proceeds of crime.

The exact acquisition date of the property, co-owned with others, is unclear, but the DEC noted it was purchased between 2015 and 2023.

Her daughter faces additional charges for acquiring another three-flat estate in Lusaka, also suspected to have been bought fraudulently.

She was further arrested for owning a high-cost house, four chicken runs, and associated external works on the property, the agency said.

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They were all released on bond, Mr. Lungu said, adding that they were safe at home after being questioned by DEC officials for hours on Thursday.

Another daughter, Tasila, is facing related charges and has been summoned by the DEC to appear on Monday.

The accused did not comment on the allegations, but the former president stated they would challenge them in court.

It is not clear when they will appear in court.

Mr. Lungu announced his return to politics last October, leading the government to withdraw his retirement benefits.

He retired after losing the presidency to Hakainde Hichilema in 2021, leaving Zambia with significant debt and an unstable economy after six years in office.

Several former ministers, officials, and Mr. Lungu’s family members have been investigated in President Hichilema’s anti-corruption campaign.

Mr. Hichilema has committed to recovering resources allegedly stolen during Mr. Lungu’s administration.

Critics argue that the anti-corruption campaign is politically motivated.

Former Zambian First Lady Esther Lungu and Daughter Detained Over Alleged Fraud

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Zambia’s Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo resigned following allegations that he was recorded accepting a bundle of money from a Chinese entrepreneur.

He did not deny he was in the video.

Instead, Mr Kakubo said he was facing “malicious claims over a business transaction” and had resigned so that the government was not “distracted” by the controversy.

The footage depicts two individuals seated at a table, tallying up neatly arranged bundles of money, comprising both American dollars and Zambian kwacha.

Their identities remained hidden from view, yet this sparked widespread speculation on social media suggesting that the individuals might be Mr. Kakubo and a Chinese entrepreneur.

Certain individuals raised concerns about the absence of a bank transfer and the possibility of taxes being settled after the transaction.

Unconfirmed pictures of handwritten notes bearing signatures appeared on social media. One note indicated a purported “exchange” of $100,000 between a Zambian individual and a Chinese mining firm. Another note, dated July 8, 2022, referenced a combined amount of $200,000.

In his letter of resignation, Mr. Kakubo did not challenge the legitimacy of the video or the handwritten notes.

Instead, he stated that he was subjected to “false allegations regarding a business deal involving my personal family enterprise and our business associate, with whom we maintain a positive relationship.”

He said he had resigned as a minister to ensure that the government was not “distracted” from its efforts to improve the lives of Zambians, but he would remain an MP.

“In due course, we will provide the accurate context surrounding the recent developments,” the Lusaka Times news site quoted Mr Kakubo as saying.

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Mr. Hichilema accepted his resignation, saying he acknowledged Mr. Kakubo’s “commendable work and leadership”.

Mr. Kakubo has once again become embroiled in controversy for the second time.

Last year, he was accused of receiving a bribe after he was spotted leaving the office of a Chinese-owned cement company with a briefcase.

He denied any wrongdoing, while the president defended him, saying he had received a calendar and a diary.

Chinese companies are major investors in Zambia.

The Chinese embassy said in 2022 that more than 600 Chinese businesses had invested more than $3bn in Zambia.

Mr Kakubo is the first minister forced to resign since President Hakainde Hichilema took office in August 2021.

Mr Hichilema pledged to fight corruption, but the opposition accuses him of unfairly targeting its members, which he denies.

In his response to Mr Kakubo’s resignation, ex-President Edgar Lungu said he should be investigated for alleged corruption.

“I am not implying that Kakubo is guilty. All I am saying is that if there are no sacred cows in Mr Hichilema’s fight against corruption, Kakubo should be investigated and if need be prosecuted…,” Mr Lungu said.

Zambia’s Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo resigns over cash-on-table video

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