High Court orders DEC to present Ex-FAZ boss, Kamanga, to Court within 120 Days

The Lusaka High Court has ruled that former Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president, Andrew Kamanga, must be brought before a competent court within 120 days to answer criminal charges over a year after his arrest.

In a ruling delivered by Judge Situmbeko Chocho, the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) was ordered to present Kamanga before court to face charges of obtaining money and pecuniary advantage by false pretences, as well as conspiracy to defraud government.

The judge also found that the commission had violated Kamanga’s constitutional rights to freedom of movement by restricting his travel without sufficient justification.

Read more: Drug Enforcement Commission opposes judicial review for FAZ officials cited in alleged fraud case

Kamanga was arrested on April 23, 2024, and released the same day on police bond.

His passport was confiscated but later returned on May 6, 2025. However, he was required to seek authorization from DEC before leaving the country and to report his return conditions not initially stipulated in his bond.

Judge Chocho ruled that DEC’s travel restrictions and initial seizure of the passport were both “unreasonable and unnecessary,” stating that the Commission failed to prove Kamanga was a flight risk.

She declared that these actions breached Articles 11 and 22 of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of movement.

While Kamanga had also sought damages for alleged reputational harm and financial losses due to the delay, the court dismissed those claims for lack of evidence, stating that special and general damages must be specifically pleaded and proven.

On the question of fair trial, the judge noted that while Kamanga was released on bond, the extended delay in taking him to court without a compelling explanation—was a violation of Article 18(1), which guarantees a fair hearing within a reasonable time.

“In view of the prolonged delay, the petitioner must be afforded his day in court,” Judge Chocho ruled.

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