Fugitive Zambian MP arrested in Zimbabwe

Emmanuel Banda denies the allegations of robbery [Emmanuel Banda/Facebook]

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 ($72,000; £57,000) 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.

The opposition Patriotic Front (PF) party, led by former President Edgar Lungu, condemned what he called an “emerging and worrying scenario”.

Banda, who has been an independent MP since 2021, was previously associated with Lungu, who lost the presidency to Hakainde Hichilema that year.

The PF spokesman, Emmanuel Mwamba, said what was happening was “an abduction” adding that the government should follow “internationally prescribed extradition protocols”.

“We are urging the Zambian government that they should not join other African countries that are known to go other jurisdictions and pick and extract a citizen they are looking for for committing crimes,” he told the BBC.

The home affairs minister denied that the charges were politically motivated and noted that they date to before Mr Banda became an MP.

In a statement to the BBC, Mwiimbu said that “as a sitting member of parliament, we expect Mr Banda to uphold respect for Zambia’s justice system and rule of law”.

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 under way” and further updates would be given in due course.

In May this year, Banda had been reported missing in unclear circumstances. He resurfaced a day later, saying that he had been abducted.

At least three opposition politicians and a civil rights activists were arrested following the case.

Two of those who were arrested – Edith Nawakwi, leader of the opposition Forum for Development and Democracy party, and civil rights activist Brebner Changala – accused the state of being behind the abductions.

The home affairs ministry however denied the state’s involvement in the matter.

On social media there had been speculation that the abduction was staged, which was denied by Banda’s family.

Banda was later 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 ($430; £340) in 2015.

He faces additional charges of escaping from lawful custody.

But Mr Mwamba told the BBC that the charges were “politically motivated”.

“Hon Jay Jay Banda is one of those members of parliament who are close to the former president, who this government is pursuing relentlessly.”

He said the case was from a decade ago and had been processed in court before, adding that the charges were meant to keep him from telling the truth about the abduction.

He said that at the time of his alleged escape, he had been admitted to hospital, because of a medical condition following his abduction.