Renowned Lusaka lawyer Kelvin Fube Bwalya (KBF) has urged President Edgar Lungu to distance himself from businessman Valden Findlay because their friendship risks destabilizing the Republican Presidency.

In a statement stressing the need to respect and defend the Presidency, KBF insisted that Findlay’s friendship with the Head of State had seriously compromised the Presidency in view of drug trafficking allegations implicating the businessman.

“Mr Bwalya observed that the challenge by National Democratic Congress (NDC) leader, Chishimba Kambwili, for President Lungu to explain his perceived close friendship with Mr Findlay and suspicions that the two could be involvement in drug trafficking, called for Mr Findlay’s immediate disengagement from the President. The fact that Mr Findlay is publicly seen travelling with the President on international trips, amidst drug trafficking allegations, calls for serious reflection by both the President and Mr Findlay,” read the statement, Thursday.

“The allegations by Mr Kambwili pre-supposes that the President of the Republic of Zambia may be directly or indirectly illicitly involved in drug trafficking with Mr Findlay. This is damaging not only to the President as a person, but to the topmost office in the land, the Presidency.”

He reiterated that both Kambwili and Findlay should desist from going to court or risk further endangering the Presidency.

“Mr Bwalya further warned that should Mr Findlay insist on taking Mr Kambwili to court over drug trafficking allegations, Zambia, as a nation, would seriously suffer from the out come of such a court action. He feared that the court action will be a feast for international media with a focus on Zambia, in particular the Presidency. He advised Mr Findlay to rescind his decision or face the embarrassment in court as Mr Kambwili will be armed with all the evidence he is gathering both locally and internationally. Mr Bwalya also strongly advised President Lungu to dismiss some of his aides, who were in the habit of engaging themselves in unwarranted behaviour, putting the name of the President into continuous dispute and ridicule,” read the statement.