Keypoints:
- Officer refused escalating bribe linked to alleged cash smuggling
- Suspect found with $2.3m and suspected gold bars
- Anti-corruption agencies and police service issue promotions
ZAMBIA’S Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has formally honoured a police officer who rejected a $50,000 bribe from a suspect allegedly caught attempting to smuggle large sums of cash through the country’s main international airport in Lusaka.
Detective Sergeant Ruth Nyambe, attached to the Airports Division of the Zambia Police Service, refused multiple bribe offers after a suspect was intercepted at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport with $2.3 million in cash and seven suspected gold bars during routine screening. The incident occurred on February 5, 2025, according to the police and the ACC.
The case has since been held up by authorities as a rare but powerful example of integrity within Zambia’s law enforcement system, amid ongoing public concern over corruption and illicit financial flows.
Escalating bribe offer rejected
According to a statement by the ACC, the suspect initially offered Nyambe $5,000 in exchange for being allowed to continue their journey. When she refused, the offer was increased to $50,000.
Nyambe again declined and immediately reported the matter to the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), triggering the arrest of the suspect and the seizure of the cash and suspected gold bars. The suspect was travelling from Lusaka to an undisclosed destination, local outlet Lusaka Times reported.
The ACC said Nyambe’s actions demonstrated ‘exceptional integrity in the performance of duty’, noting that her decision ensured proper inter-agency cooperation and prevented a potentially significant financial crime from going undetected.
National honour and promotion
Nyambe was formally recognised on December 23 during the ACC’s Chief Executive Officers’ Forum in Lusaka, where ACC Director-General Daphne Chabu presented her with the commission’s Integrity Award. The agency did not confirm whether the honour included a financial reward.
A day later, Zambia’s Inspector-General of Police, Graphel Musamba, promoted Nyambe from Detective Sergeant to Inspector of Police.
In a statement, the Zambia Police Service said the promotion was ‘in recognition of her integrity, outstanding performance, and refusal to accept bribes’, adding that such conduct aligned with ongoing efforts to rebuild public trust in the police.
Wider recognition for ethical conduct
Nyambe was not the only officer recognised this week for resisting corruption. Inspector-General Musamba also promoted Sergeant Samuel Mbewe to inspector after he refused a ZK20,000 ($890) bribe from a foreign national in Kitwe, in the Copperbelt Province.
The foreigner had attempted to bribe Mbewe after being stopped for driving an unregistered vehicle and breaching traffic regulations. Mbewe instead arrested the individual, according to police officials.
Separately, the ACC also honoured an official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Technical Plant Health Inspector Hendrix Mwinga, for rejecting a ZK160,000 ($7,100) from a milling company.
Unsafe wheat intercepted at border
Mwinga intercepted three truckloads of wheat at the Kazungula border post in southern Zambia after inspections revealed the consignment contained harmful material. The wheat was being transported from South Africa.
The ACC said Zambia rejected the shipment following Mwinga’s intervention and ordered the wheat to be returned to its country of origin, describing the action as critical to safeguarding public health and food security.
Zambia’s authorities say the recent honours and promotions are intended to send a clear signal that ethical conduct will be rewarded, as the government intensifies efforts to combat corruption across public institutions.
