LUSAKA businessman Valden Findlay has been detained on allegations of espionage, with his lawyer raising concerns over the process after police confirmed the arrest and said investigations are ongoing.
Police spokesperson Godfrey Chilabi said Findlay, 63, was apprehended on March 31 by a joint team of law enforcement officers acting on intelligence linked to national security. He said the suspect remains in custody while investigators work to establish the full facts surrounding the case.
“The Zambia Police Service takes matters of national security very seriously. Findlay was apprehended on credible information linking him to espionage activities. Investigations are still underway to establish the full facts,” Chilabi said.
The confirmation places the case among the most serious legal matters currently under investigation, with espionage carrying heavy penalties under Zambian law. Authorities have not publicly outlined the specific acts forming the basis of the allegation, stating that the inquiry is still in progress.
Findlay’s lawyer, Milner Katolo, said the manner in which the case is being handled has raised immediate concern, particularly the absence of a formal interview before the detention was effected.
“It is very concerning that my client was charged without being formally interviewed. We are yet to see the evidence against him. We will ensure that his legal rights are fully protected, and we will challenge any irregularities in the process,” Katolo said.
Katolo described his client as a respected businessman with no known criminal record and called for a process that is both transparent and consistent with legal standards. He said the defence team expects clarity on the allegations and the evidence supporting them as the case progresses.
Police have urged members of the public to refrain from speculation, noting that the sensitive nature of the case requires careful handling while investigations are underway. Authorities said further updates will be provided once key stages of the inquiry are completed.
The detention has also drawn attention following indications linked to the case that a definitive charge may not have been fully established at the time of the arrest. Accounts associated with the matter suggest that investigators were still determining the specific offence, a development that has intensified scrutiny around procedure.
The sequence of events surrounding the apprehension is now central to the unfolding situation. While law enforcement maintains that the arrest was based on intelligence, the defence is questioning whether due process has been fully observed at each stage of the investigation.
Nkana Member of Parliament Binwell Mpundu has also weighed in on the matter, questioning why a summons was not issued if authorities suspected wrongdoing. He said handling such cases in a manner that appears irregular risks undermining confidence in institutions responsible for enforcing the law.
The case is unfolding within a broader environment where issues of governance, accountability and institutional conduct are under close public attention. That context has amplified interest in how the investigation is being conducted and how quickly clarity will emerge.
For now, Findlay remains in custody as investigations continue, with the next stage expected to determine whether formal charges will be clearly defined and presented before the courts, and whether the evidence meets the threshold required for prosecution.
The economy is our major issue for now. Go to the compounds and see if you will see or smell the purpoted 12 billion dollars investment in the mines. The poverty and squalor that has worsened since 2021 is disheartening. This statement has no political intonation in it but only the truth. Even the much talked about free education is not salvaging the hunger in our compounds. I will not comment on Findlay, my worry is the abject squalor and poverty in the compounds
HH is embarrassing himself now. Who is Findlay to Zambians? Why damage reputation over Findlay, not even a soldier is interested in such things.
This sign of ranning out of ideas.
They will ask him if he knows the Baganda king.
And if he knows Mundubile. Then they will ask him if he knows former Angolan president’s daughter. If he says yes or even No then they will charge him with treason. Our incoherent investigators
Everything is cooked up nowdays
Clearly this government is worried about financing the challenge to HH……..
How will the lungu stolen monies come into the country……….
They are needlessly worrying……….
The president is being fed wrong information……….
he is favourite to win by a large margin,……
We are here
FWD2031
The presdent is being fed the wrong information ???? he is very unpopular whether you accept it or not
he is thought to be a devider instead of a unifer
He only wants to appease UNZA. He thinks we all have these degrees that can no longer get us a job
So is Findlay financing some of the opposition? Whats wrong with that? There were funders for HH as well. Im sure they were promised contracts like Mufulira Road, anti Loadshedding motors in government institutions etc
Let the journey to find the truth begin not just with the wrong information but real data based on facts. Every citizen should be concerned, we need to see the law applied rationally.
Why arresting him prematurely before full investigation has been concluded??
That’s the modus operandi of the Zambia Police Force. Arrest first, charge later. It works.
Most suspects know this tactic. Ask Kaizer Zulu, Emmanuel Mwamba, Rupiah Banda’s son etc
Its just a ploy to keep him busy with cases so that he has no time to finance PF for the elections. After elections all charges will be mysteriously disappear.