Lusaka Archbishop Dr Alick Banda remains in custody as his lawyers work to meet the bail conditions set by Resident Magistrate Mwandu Nakazwe. A legal team led by State Counsel John Sangwa has been at the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court since morning, joined by Vicar General Andrew Simpasa and other senior Catholic clergy. Their aim is to secure the Archbishop’s release before the end of the day and spare him a second night at Lusaka Central Correctional Facility, commonly known as Chimbokaila. By 14:50, his sureties were still being interviewed by court officials as part of the bail process.

The 62-year-old cleric was granted K80,000 bail in his own recognisance on Monday, with three working sureties each bound in the sum of K50,000. The court also ordered him to surrender his travel documents pending trial. Despite the ruling, he spent Monday night at Chimbokaila because the bail formalities were not completed in time. Director of Public Prosecutions Gilbert Phiri indicated that the Archbishop remained detained because the conditions may have been met late in the day.

Dr Banda was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) on Monday after questioning at the Commission’s offices in Lusaka. He was charged with possession of property reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained, contrary to Section 319 of the Penal Code. The particulars allege that between 22 April 2021 and 27 December 2023, he had in his possession a blue Toyota Hilux, registration number ALF 7734, reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained from the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA). When the charge was read in court, the Archbishop pleaded not guilty. He remains presumed innocent until the court rules otherwise.

The vehicle is one of about 22 ZRA motor vehicles that the DEC says were improperly disposed of. Ownership of the Hilux was reportedly transferred into Dr Banda’s name in April 2021, and the DEC seized the vehicle in December 2023. The Commission announced in September 2024 that the Hilux had been forfeited after a six-month period to contest the seizure lapsed. The DEC’s Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit first summoned the Archbishop on 31 December 2025, and a warn and caution statement was recorded on 5 January 2026.

The wider investigation has already produced convictions. In October 2025, a court sentenced former ZRA Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda to six years and former Director of Administration Callistus Kaoma to nine years for failing to follow proper procedures in disposing of the vehicles. Both men were granted bail pending appeal. The Archbishop’s name surfaced during that trial when former ZRA Board Secretary Suzyo Ngandu testified that three vehicles which had not been advertised for sale were given away. According to her testimony, one went to Archbishop Banda and two to the Heart of Mercy charity.

The paper trail behind the Hilux has also been disputed. Mulopa Kaunda, the ZRA employee whose name appeared in the purported transaction, publicly denied ever buying the vehicle from ZRA or selling it to the Archbishop. He said documents and receipts had been generated in his name without his involvement. His account has not been tested in court, and the earlier proceedings concerned other accused persons rather than the Archbishop himself.

The Archbishop began Monday at a solidarity Mass surrounded by members of the faithful before presenting himself to the DEC. The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) has since come out firmly in his support. ZCCB President and Archbishop of Kasama, Most Reverend Ignatius Chama, said the Catholic Church stands in solidarity with Archbishop Banda as he goes through the process. In a statement, he urged all concerned to ensure that fairness and due process are upheld without prejudice or intimidation. He added that the Church remains confident in Archbishop Banda’s pastoral ministry and his contribution to both the Church and the nation.

Archbishop Chama called on the Catholic faithful and people of goodwill to keep praying for calm, peace and unity as the case unfolds. The bishops have framed their position around fair treatment rather than the merits of the charge, placing the Church’s weight behind the process instead of against it. Other voices have also urged calm and asked the public to let the legal process run without inflammatory statements. That tone matters in a case that touches both the law and the faith of millions of Zambians.

The case has drawn national attention because of Dr Banda’s standing as Metropolitan Archbishop of Lusaka and one of the most senior figures in the Catholic Church in Zambia. It now moves to trial, where the prosecution will have to prove its case against a defence led by one of the country’s most prominent constitutional lawyers. For now, the immediate question is whether the bail process concludes before the court closes for the day.

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