An escaped Zambian lawmaker with money on his head has been arrested in Zimbabwe, Zambian authorities have said.
Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda, who was facing robbery charges, is accused of escaping from custody in August pending a court appearance.
He is said to have jumped out of the window at the Chipata Central Hospital in Eastern Province where he was admitted following his arrest and was guarded by police and prison officers.
The police then released 2m Zambian kwacha ($72,000; £57,000) from him.
He denies the robbery charges.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the minister of home affairs in Zambia said that the member of parliament was arrested earlier this week in Harare.
Jack Mwiimbu said the Member of Parliament was arrested by the Zimbabwean police in the apartment he rented and will stay there pending extradition laws.
He said the government is looking to know who caused him to run away from parliament and his wife’s visit to Harare.
He thanked the Zimbabwean authorities for their cooperation.
The opposition PF party, led by former President Edgar Lungu, condemned what it called an “emerging and worrisome situation”.
Banda, who has been an independent Member of Parliament since 2021, was previously associated with Lungu, who lost the presidency to Hakainde Hichilema that year.
The PF spokesperson, Emmanuel Mwamba, said what is happening is “kidnapping” adding that the Government should follow “laws set by the whole world.”
“We urge the Zambian government not to join other African countries that are known to go to other places and deport a citizen they want to commit a crime,” he told the BBC.
The BBC has requested a response from the Zambian government.
In May this year, Banda is said to have disappeared under unclear circumstances. He woke up a day later saying he was kidnapped.
At least three opposition politicians and human rights activists were arrested following the case.
Two of those arrested – Edith Nawakwi, leader of the opposition Forum for Development and Democracy, and civil rights activist Brebner Changala – accused the government of being behind the kidnapping.
However, the Ministry of Home Affairs has denied that the state is involved in this matter.
There were allegations on social media that people had been kidnapped, which Banda’s family denied.
Banda was later arrested in June this year and charged with a non-bailable charge of aggravated robbery in connection with the theft of property worth 12,000 kwacha ($430; £340) in 2015.
He faces other charges of escaping lawful custody.
But Mr Mwamba told the BBC that the charges were “politically related”.
“Honorable Jay Jay Banda is one of the members of parliament who are close to the former president, who this government has been following relentlessly.”
He said that this case was ten years ago, and it was investigated in court, and he said that the cases were designed to prevent him from telling the truth about his abduction.
He said that when he was employed, he was admitted to the hospital due to a serious condition following his abduction.
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