The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) said that Zambia’s infrastructure and housing minister Ronald Chitotela has been charged with concealing property believed to have been bought with the proceeds of crime.
The ACC arrested the Minister on Tuesday and released him on bail pending a court hearing.
ACC Assistant Public Relations Manager Dorothy Mwanza said Ronald Chitotela had been charged on two counts of concealing property acquired in an upscale residential area in the capital, bought with the proceeds of crime and registered in the name of another person.
The main opposition party has often accused President Edgar Lungu’s government of corruption. Chitotela, 47, is the first cabinet minister to be arrested on suspicion of graft since Lungu’s re-election in 2016.
If convicted, Chitotela faces a penalty of up to 5 years in prison.
Meanwhile, Transparency International Zambia welcomed Chitotela’s arrest.