ACC arrests two men from Lumezi for offering a wildlife officer K5,000 to free a relative held over a homemade shotgun

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has arrested two men for allegedly trying to bribe a wildlife investigations officer so that a relative held for illegal possession of a homemade shotgun would be released. The suspects are Malilo Banda, also known as Adam Banda, and Raphael Muyayi, both of Chihanya Village in Lumezi District. In a statement, ACC Head of Corporate Communications Joseph Mwenya said they offered the officer K5,000 and actually paid K4,500 in cash. The money was meant to secure the release of their relative, who was in detention for having a homemade shotgun without authority. The two have each been charged with two counts of corrupt practices with a public officer, contrary to Section 19(2) as read with Section 41 of the Anti-Corruption Act, Chapter 91 of the Laws of Zambia. They have not been convicted of any offence. ## Why it matters A bribe paid to get someone out of detention undermines the courts and the police, because it lets a person with cash secure a release that others cannot. Cases involving illegal firearms and wildlife officers also touch on poaching, which Zambia treats as a serious crime. The amount, K4,500 paid out of K5,000 offered, is small, but the charge turns on the act of offering and paying a public officer, not on the size of the payment. ## What happens next The two men are expected to answer the charges in court. Source: News Diggers, Elizabeth Mabenga, 31 October 2026, 14:13 (Africa/Lusaka). Link: <https://diggers.news/local/2026/10/31/acc-nabs-2-farmers-over-k5000-bribe/>