LUSAKA, Nov 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A fugitive Zambian lawmaker with a bounty on his head has been arrested in Zimbabwe, Zambian authorities have said.
Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda, who was facing robbery charges, is accused of having escaped from custody in August as he awaited to appear in court.
He is said to have escaped through a window at Chipata Central Hospital in Eastern Province where he had been admitted following his arrest and was being guarded by police and prison officers.
The police then issued a bounty of 2m Zambian kwacha for him.
He denies the allegations of robbery.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the Zambian minister for home affairs said the MP had been arrested earlier this week in Harare.
Jack Mwiimbu said the MP was arrested by Zimbabwean police at a flat he had been renting and would remain there pending extradition formalities.
He said the government was keen to know who had facilitated the MP’s escape as well as visits by his wife to Harare.
He thanked the Zimbabwean authorities for their co-operation.
Banda, who has been an independent MP since 2021, was previously associated with former President Edgar Lungu, who lost the presidency to Hakainde Hichilema that year.
On Thursday, the Zambian police said that Interpol in Harare had confirmed that Banda was in their custody and had requested extradition documents.
It noted that Banda had in a preliminary interview with Interpol denied the charges, “alleging he was being targeted due to his familial ties” with Lungu. This prompted a request for clarification on the charges, which Zambia provided.
The Zambian police added that preparations to “finalise and transmit the required documents to [interpol in] Harare are currently underway” and further updates would be given in due course.
Banda was arrested in June this year and charged with the non-bailable offence of aggravated robbery relating to the theft of property worth 12,000 kwacha in 2015.
He faces additional charges of escaping from lawful custody. — NNN-AGENCIES
