The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) boss Zindaba Soko and the board chairman for Intelligent Mobility Solutions (IMS) Walid El Nahas, for Money Laundering related charged involving the Speed Camera scandal.

But when contacted yesterday, DEC Spokesperson Theresa Katongo said the two were invited for further questioning and investigation, but were not formally arrested.

Sources who sought anonymity told News Diggers, Tuesday, that Soko was jointly charged with El Nahas, the board chairman for Intelligent Mobility Solutions, a private company that was awarded a government tender to supply and install speed cameras.

“It relates to money laundering yes, but the specific charges have not been released. What we know is that in one count they they have been jointly charged and in another they have been charged separately,” a source revealed.

“DEC is not expected to announce the arrest because there are three other targets connected to the alleged crime, so the announcement may only come after the other suspects have been picked up, but Soko and Walid have been arrested and released on bond.”

Katongo, when asked at first, said she was not aware of any development and needed to contact her office, after which she confirmed that the duo was interrogated at DEC yesterday, but said no formal arrests were made.

“We didn’t make aby arrests, it’s just the normal investigations where suspected are called and questioned. So even today it was just the normal one, no formal arrests,” said Katongo.

Last month, News Diggers reported that the RTSA boss had been implicated in the speed cameras tender after he allegedly received over US$100,000 (approximately over K1 million) into his bank account, which investigators suspect to have been gratification.

The sources said in August 2017, about two months before the speed camera tender was awarded, the RTSA boss received money which was deposited by a top official from IMS into Mr Soko’s Stanbic bank account, adding that two months later, the tender was awarded to the same company.

DEC Commissioner Alita Mbahwe announced on June 26 that Soko had been summoned for questioning and that his house had been searched for evidence.

“We received a complaint against Mr Zindaba Soko just like any other member of the public. He is being given a chance to explain himself in terms of the allegations that have been levelled against him, We are doing investigations,” said Mbahwe.

“It’s not a drug related complaint. You will be informed in due course when we have done our investigations [on] what exactly we are investigating Mr Soko on. Right now, for those of you who have information that Mr Soko’s house was raided yesterday, it’s a normal thing during the course of our investigations. We will go and search anyone’s home if we feel that the evidence that we require is going to be found in that place. Remember Drug Enforcement Commission does not only deal with drugs. We also deal with money laundering issues.”