In a case that has captured the nation’s attention, former First Lady, Mama Esther Lungu, is scheduled to appear in court at the Lusaka Magistrate Court Complex on Friday, September 29, 2023, at 09:00hrs. The court appearance stems from a series of events dating back to September 2021, involving allegations of financial impropriety and property disputes.
The incident at the heart of this legal drama revolves around Catherine Banda, the niece of Zambia’s former President. Ms. Banda was entrusted with the safekeeping of $400,000 but later claimed to have given $300,000 of this amount to Elizabeth Phiri and her daughter, Fuhana Patel. This transaction led to a subsequent complaint to the police by Phiri and Patel regarding the alleged theft of their vehicles and property.
Mama Esther Lungu entered the picture in August 2022 when she requested the return of her funds from Catherine Banda. However, investigations revealed that the money had already changed hands, having been surrendered to Elizabeth Phiri and Fuhana Patel. Family meetings aimed at resolving the issue disclosed that the duo had utilized the funds to acquire the same property in question.
In an effort to reach an agreement, the involved parties decided that Elizabeth Phiri and Fuhana Patel would relinquish the certificate of title for the disputed property (stand number S/Lusaka/SLN 0003/2977, located in Libala South Water Works Area) and three motor vehicles—a Mitsubishi Canter bearing registration number BAV 5282, a Toyota Allex with registration number BAV 3986, and a Toyota Runx, also registered as BAV 3986—to compensate for the money.
In accordance with the agreement, Phiri and Patel voluntarily handed over the property and vehicles to the former President’s residence.
However, events took an unexpected turn in May 2023, when Mama Esther Lungu expressed surprise and dismay that a matter she believed had been resolved through civil means was now under police investigation. Reports surfaced of heavily armed police officers accompanied by anti-riot vehicles storming the former President’s residence, demanding to conduct a search of the premises.
The incident involving Mama Esther Lungu, the disputed $400,000, and the subsequent developments have generated widespread interest and intrigue throughout Zambia. As investigations continue, the nation watches with bated breath, awaiting the resolution of this complex and high-profile case.
The charges against those involved include allegations of theft of a motor vehicle, theft of a property certificate in Lusaka, and possession of property suspected to be linked to criminal activities. The upcoming court appearance promises to shed further light on this compelling legal saga that has gripped the nation’s attention.
Gee! A professionally written news story on LT!! Who wrote It?
I had to re-read and re-check the article that it was actually on LT. I hope such professionalism will continue being upheld by the LT.
So sad reading.
My wife can’t be involved such styupid transactions. I wouldn’t sleep with her, I will just leave and go somewhere she won’t find me. Wait
Is this the reason Ba Ester’s husband wants to relocate to South Korea, but Jack is stopping him?
It is a very valid question. Where did Esther Lungu get $400 000 fom?
The witch-hunt is now spreading to wives after children. I’m sure the next one will crank it up to beneficiary relatives and friends.Lazy people always chase the little that others have instead of generating more wealth. Shame on whoever is responsible for this.
Where did Mrs lungu get $400k from ?
Has she got tax recites to back up her story ?
What’s your problem? where do you think money comes from? What are you…a police man? atase. Ati where did Mrs lungu get $400k from, have you no shame?
Will this family be the same? It happened on the copperbelt when a man entrusted the money he stole to his sister before he went to Kamfinsa to ” officially” work for the loot. After completing his sentence he asked the sister for”his” money to which the sister expressed ignorance: NINDALAMA SHISA? That family experienced catastrophe after catastrophe.
Relatives like stealing from relatives. Why? We were not like this before the money economy?
At least she hasn’t been mentioned in illegal takeover of mines
you are so insincere to your own soul. who was mentioned in illegal takeover of mines- to please your ego? u ar ok defending thieves ?
The family of bakabwa lala…the entire family sure entangled in stolen govt money..this is extra ordinary for zambia. It has never happened b4. When lungu comes back in 2026 his family shd keep distance frm him otherwise he shall put them in worse problems when his time to leave power comes.
Who says Lungu is coming back? The matter will go before the courts, and the bugger will be barred from contesting. This will throw PF in disarray, and HH will continue whatever it is he is doing
The vehicles are a small side show………..
The elephant in the room is………
Were did mrs lungu get $400k from ?
Hope she has tax recites
Yeah. The office of the First Lady doesn’t pay anyone in US dollars. And certainly not the equivalent of 400,000 dollars?
Just as fishy as her husband’s Eswatini mansion.
We will do the same to mutinta hichilema in 2026 but 20 times more. We will place her in a male prison since hh has failed to satisfy her. Erectile dysfunction at such early age
2026 you stand no chance DREAM ON !!
and for some one on the run can anyone believe your posts ??
Why would I not post,? And who told you am on the run. Go on my faycebook under kaizar zulu. I post there too. Be a man and comment and tag me using your real account highlighting that you are tikki. Don’t be scared my people won’t harm you. You are already a dead man
You already did worse to the Hichilemas. You threw them in jail, and tried to kill HH. The problem is that most of you will be kailis in 2026. Lungu will be barred from contesting and that will leave you scrambling for an emergency candidate. You will lose.
LT: this is a comment on a matter which is before the courts. It gives a narrative which indicates that the accused is innocent, which may be read as an attempt to influence the tribunal. Or it is liable to undermine the integrity of proceedings. This is, or verges on, contempt. Kindly retract.
Yayi baba according to our laws she is presumed innocent until proven guilty. All of us should see her as innocent until the judge’s hammer comes down
What is your posting on? The news story by LT has no comment. It is just presenting facts. Nowhere does it comment about Lungu’s innocence or guilt. The narrative you cite is imagined. The reporter has not argued for anything
It is difficult to understand why someone would be so motivated as to entrust another person to act as a bank for you. indeed in the past we saw people who buried money as they felt the established financial institutions could not manage their monies. When one acts as if they have something to hide they only be one logical conclusion. Indeed even when the issues were ‘resolved’ surely one should not have gone as far as to grab properties brought from the entrusted cash…at least they should have been left with a vitz…but it’s a family issue now in court.
Why indeed risk your ‘hard-earned” money with someone who doesnt provide surety? Doesnt that indicate that you didnt want this money in public records? Why did you want to hide it from the bank? Because it was unlaundered? And the relative must have known this is stolen money and noone could make her account for it-So she spent it. Londololeni Mukwai
Relatives are untrustworthy. Several times people from town who send money to the village for house construction have ended on the losing end as the relative will claim the property. You buy nets it’s the same story…no fish.
Even if it’s stolen money that was reckless trust.
……..
I can see Mrs lungu dropping everything to resolve this case………….
Or she will have the little problem of explaining the source of $400k………
Or is the state using the back door through this case to make mrrs lungu explain the 400k ??
Mwansa Kabinga aka cde membe
Us Africans have ourselves to blame…….
Every race is moving on except us…….
Stealing abd lazyness seems an ingrained.
We now understand why European and US Embassies in Lusaka opted to remain aloof over the sad episodes skirting around E.C. Lungu’s Family. The World is ethnically deeply divided. The French conduct in West Africa has revealed that Caucasians do not respect Africans. Hence, they rejoice seeing Africans torture each other. This is a research challenge to level-headed ANTROPOLOGISTS to isolate and determine a specific gene of human DNA shared by Adolf Hitler (hatred for Jews), J. Stalin, Idi Amin (hatred for Asians), Hendrik Verwoerd (architect of apartheid). The findings could help predict the fate of humanity in future.
So who is the complaint in this case?
I still don’t get it. How is Mrs lungu who is supposed to be the victim here being charged?! The law is not fair. People mismanaged her $400 000. Instead of her taking people court, the people that stole her money are suing her for recovering her money and police her helping with military kind of operation…So Sad
Wow, Esther has some fishy $400,000 USD ? This is a family of crooks when you look at Eswatini mansion and Tasila Lungu’s unexplained riches.
It just boring hearing this name from Malawi called Kaizar Zulu. He is for the re-introduction of the most corrupt government under PF in the history of Africa. Mrs. Lungu does not deserve any lenience. These corrupt syndicate will this time they will finish ofstealing where they had left.
The first question is where did Ms Lungu find such a colossal amount of money to Sabta Klaus Phiri and Patel with? Where is the agreement on whose basis this money was given to aPhiri na Patel? If indeed it happened, this money could only have been proceeds from criminal activities. It was a quest by “wide noses” to launder dirty money, this is racketeering, its criminal! ZRA must visit this thieving illiterate to find out where the money came from and if she paid any tax on it.