PF secretary general Davies Mwila says it is evident that there was an instruction to arrest Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) provisional Liquidator Milingo Lungu without investigations being concluded.

Commenting on Director of Public Prosecutions Lilian Siyunyi’s remarks that her office had studied Lungu’s docket and was in the process of preparing documentation to file in court, Mwila said investigative wings were in hurry to arrest Lungu.

“The issue of Milingo Lungu, when he was being arrested, the prosecutors were not ready. Even the issue that they were raising, you could see that there was somewhere where the instructions were done. They were not ready to arrest him without concluding investigations. If they had concluded them, the docket was going to be ready. They were in a hurry to arrest Milingo Lungu without concluding investigations that is why they are in a predicament. Let them investigate thoroughly and take the matter to court. You can see that there is a hand that is giving instructions,” Mwila said.

He called on investigative wings to be professional and not accept any interference.

“If you cannot investigate conclusively, it means that you want to lose the case. Instead of losing money, we are appealing to them that they have to be professional. Let them not accept any interference. These institutions must be independent and do the job diligently for the benefit of the Zambian people. You can see that it is a witch hunt because the UPND told the Zambian people that the PF have stolen and they have to prove it to them. But they are in a hurry to do things. Let the investigative wings do their job professionally and let them take the matter to court at the right time,” said Mwila.

Last month, the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) arrested Lungu for theft of K110.4 Million and US$250,000.

In September last year, a scandal emerged at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) in which the mining giant, which the Zambian government repossessed from Vedanta Resources in 2019, had paid US$1.6 million (about K32 million) to a company allegedly bought by liquidator Milingo Lungu through his relative Dingiswayo Ndhlovu, for the supply of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO).

Within the same month, a Copperbelt based businessman Joseph Chilinda told the Kabwe High Court that Milingo bought his company, Cashfin Zambia Ltd, for US$500,000 and promised to pay through a procurement tender from Konkola Copper Mines.

Addressing journalists in Lusaka, DEC public relations officer Mathias Kamanga said Milingo also obtained $2,200,000 by false pretences.