Former First Lady of Zambia Esther Lungu and her daughter Chiyeso Katete have been arrested for possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The two were arrested in the capital Lusaka on Thursday, along with another close relative identified as Charles Phiri, authorities said.
Ms Lungu “failed to provide a reasonable explanation” of how she acquired a $30,000 (£24,000) estate in the capital, the state anti-drug agency said.
Former president Edgar Lungu said the family would fight the charges in court.
The former leader has accused the government of victimizing him and members of his Patriotic Front (PF) party to block his return to politics ahead of the 2026 elections.
He recently claimed that he had been placed under house arrest due to his increased political activities, although the government denied this.
Last September, his wife was arrested on corruption charges, including cases of theft of motor vehicles and property deeds, which she denied.
On Thursday, Ms Lungu, 66, was arrested on suspicion of fraudulently acquiring a luxury property in Lusaka, the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) said in a statement.
According to the report, Ms Lungu owned ’15 white two-storey flats’ located in the State Lodge area of Chongwe town in Lusaka, ‘reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime’.
The exact date the property, which was co-owned with other unknown people, was acquired was not clear, but the DEC said it was purchased between 2015 and 2023.
The DEC said her daughter was facing additional charges for the purchase of another three apartments in Lusaka, which is suspected to have been bought fraudulently.
“She was further arrested for owning one expensive house, four chicken coops and associated external works on the property,” the agency added.
They were all released on bail, Mr Lungu said, adding that they were safe at home after being questioned by DEC officials for several hours on Thursday.
Another of Ms Lungu’s daughters, Tasila, faces separate but related charges, according to the DEC.
She has been instructed through her lawyers to appear at the DEC on Monday.
The suspects did not comment on the charges, but in a brief statement the former president said the family would challenge them in court.
It was not immediately clear if and when they will appear in court.
Mr Lungu announced a comeback to politics last October, prompting the government to withdraw his pension benefits.
He had retired from politics after losing the presidency to Hakainde Hichilema in 2021.
After six years in power, Mr Lungu left the South African country with heavy debts and a precarious economy.
Several former ministers, government officials and members of Mr Lungu’s family were on the radar of Zambian investigative agencies in an anti-corruption campaign launched by President Hichilema.
Mr Hichilema has vowed to recover all resources allegedly looted while Mr Lungu was in power.
Critics say the fight against corruption is politically motivated.
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