Zambian police said on Wednesday that they have detained the country's former first lady, Esther Lungu, on charges of theft.
"POLICE have jointly formally charged and arrested the former First Lady Esther ... of Lusaka for three counts of Theft of Motor vehicle [...]," the police said on social media, adding that four other suspects were also detained under the same charges.
The suspects are also accused of possessing property alleged to be the proceeds of criminal activity.
Esther Lungu is the wife of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu, who served as the country's 6th president from 2015 to 2021. In May, it was reported that Edgar Lungu's residence in Lusaka was surrounded by police demanding access to proceed with a search.
Later, Lungu's lawyer said that the police search was conducted due to a complaint against his client's wife, Esther Lungu, suspicious ownership of the vehicles and a title deed.