Esther Lungu, a wife to Zambia’s former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu is today expected to appear before Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) over her abandoned flats.

Earlier this month, Zambia’s DEC seized 15 flats belonging to the former first lady and have been summoning her for questioning since but she has been unavailable.

According to DEC director general Mary Chirwa, the commission was alerted of an abandoned block 15 flats in Lusaka’s State Lodge area.

Chirwa explained that after initial verifications with Ministry of Lands, it showed that the property number was not captured in the system.

She said further verification with Chongwe Council revealed that the property was sitting on a property No. F/11031 which number was given back to Ministry of Lands to verify who confirmed that, that property number was on offer to a Benard Chituta and that it was a farm based in Kasama.

“Further investigations with the daughter to Mr. Chituta revealed that her father had no property in State Lodge,” Chriwa explained.

Chirwa said this led DEC to pounce on the flats as they had been abandoned at which point her team was then able to verify that the property was for a Mrs. Esther Nyawa Tembo through a Zesco prepaid meter number.

“At this point the Commission did not know which Esther Nyawa Tembo this was. Thereafter, following the media publication, the Lawyer to the former First Lady made a claim that the said flats were for the former First Lady,” Chirwa explained.

The former first lady was then summoned to appear before DEC on July 7, 2022 but her lawyers said the date was not convenient for her and proposed on July 12 but the the commission was committed on date.

Last week, DEC issued a fresh summon for the former lady.