LUSAKA magistrate Sanford Ngobola has granted former Konkola Copper Mines Provisional Liquidator Milingo Lungu K200,000 bail but in his own recognizance.

He has further ordered him to provide two working sureties bound in the sum of K100,000 each, also in their own recognizance.

On Thursday, the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) through its Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit re-arrested Lungu for theft of K4.4 million from KCM, following the establishment of more evidence.

This was after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) earlier this week entered a nolle prosequi in a similar case, causing massive public outcry.

In a statement, DEC Public Relations Officer Mathias Kamanga stated that the Commission had further charged and arrested Lungu for money laundering involving the purchase of a property in Mass Media area for about US$750,000.

He added that it was alleged that the K4.4 million was used as part payment for the said property which has since been seized by the Commission.

Kamanga further stated that Lungu had also been charged and arrested for possession of a property, a 4 bedroomed house in Sunningdale, Lusaka, reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.

However, Lungu has only been charged with one count of possession of property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime in the new matter.

It is alleged that Lungu between January 1, 2019 and March 31, 2022 in Lusaka, did possess stand number 7934 Sunningdale, property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime.

When the matter came up before magistrate Ngobola for plea, Lungu’s defence lawyers asked for time to obtain further instructions from the accused person before plea could be administered.

The state did not object to the application and magistrate Ngobola adjourned the case to Monday.

But before the court could rise, one of the defence lawyers, Sakwiba Sikota asked the court to grant his client bail, pending the determination of the matter, saying DEC declined to grant him bond.

He said when his client appeared before DEC on Thursday, he was told that he was being re-arrested for matters he was charged with earlier before a nolle prosequi was entered.

Another defence lawyer Moses Chitambala said Lungu had demonstrated to the court that he was able to abide by the bail conditions that would be set, going by his conduct before magistrate Felix Kaoma where he used to attend all court sessions.

Magistrate Ngobola granted the application for bail.