MMD vice-president Rueben Sambo says Nevers Mumba has not been arrested but is merely being questioned by security agencies in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over a meeting they suspect he had held with a certain general from that country.

On Friday, Daily Nation reported that Mumba had been arrested in DRC after a meeting he was to hold with former president Joseph Kabila failed to take off after the latter did not show up.

According to the Daily Nation report, Mumba was in that country to seek financing for the 2021 elections.

But in a video recording shared on Facebook, Saturday, Mumba said he had not been arrested but had been restricted from leaving that country until some investigations were concluded.

“I have received a number of messages from back home of people expressing concern about my safety and whereabouts. So I speak to you today from Lubumbashi, I want to confirm that I have not been arrested, I have been restricted from leaving the country until they do their preliminary investigations. These investigations are about trying to find out what exactly I am doing in this country at such a time when there’s heightened political activity in the Congo. As former Vice President, they want to make sure that I am clear about why I am here. And I would like to confirm that there’s absolutely nothing I have done and my team that contradicts any provision of the law of both Zambia and the Congo,” Mumba said.

He said he had not breached any Zambian or Congolese laws.

“We came for business and we have achieved what we came for and did absolutely no politics in this country. I want to thank all of you for standing with me and my team in prayer that this ordeal is going to come to an end very soon. Once again, I am safe, the security wings if this country are looking after me extremely well, as you can see I am speaking to you from my hotel room and this video is being taken, that’s not something that happens to someone who’s arrested,” said Mumba.

And in an interview, Sambo said Mumba went to DRC for a private meeting and he did not meet Kabila, as reported.

“By arresting it would mean that he is in custody. Dr Mumba has definitely been asked questions by the security agencies in Lubumbashi. Questions relating to his…he attended a meeting where he was invited as guest of honour last month it is called the Sampier organization so this time around, he went for a totally private business arrangement with the government of Lubumbashi and because of the fall out that happened between the two leaders President (Felix) Tshisekedi and president Kabila, he must have been caught up in that,” said Sambo.

“They have asked questions relating to that meeting of last month as to whether he met a particular general at that meeting, he did not. So yes, he has been asked to stick around until they can clear the questions. But he is in his hotel and he is alright. It is not true that he met with president Kabila. He doesn’t even know president Kabila as a person, he went to do something different with the government of Katanga. You know he does private business as well.”