Archbishop Alick Banda Pleads Not Guilty in ZRA Vehicle Case

Lusaka, September 29, 2026. Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda has been arrested and has appeared in court on one charge of possessing property reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained. The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) charged him after he responded to a summons and appeared before the commission. DEC public relations officer Allan Tamba said the arrest followed a warn-and-caution statement recorded on January 5, 2026. The charge concerns a blue Toyota Hilux, registration number ALF 7734. Prosecutors allege Banda possessed it between April 22, 2021 and December 27, 2023. The vehicle is suspected to have been unlawfully obtained from the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA). Mr Tamba said the vehicle is part of a wider investigation involving about 22 ZRA motor vehicles alleged to have been improperly disposed of. He urged the public to refrain from issuing or circulating inflammatory statements on the matter, in the interest of peace, law and order. Banda appeared before Lusaka Resident Magistrate Mwandu Nakazwe, where he pleaded not guilty. Director of Public Prosecutions Gilbert Phiri, who is leading the prosecution team, told the court the accused was before it on that one count. There was a heavy police presence around DEC headquarters, and roads leading to the premises were cordoned off. Police public relations officer Godfrey Chilabi said the deployment was meant to maintain law and order. Banda has been charged, not convicted. The court will now test the allegations. What matters for the public is the wider probe: if 22 vehicles left ZRA improperly, other names and a paper trail should follow.