DEC nabs former ZAMMSA boss Nyasulu, 2 others

DEC nabs former ZAMMSA boss Nyasulu, 2 others

By Mast Reporter

FORMER Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) director general Victor Nyasulu has described his fresh arrest by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) as political.

Confirming the development in an interview yesterday, Nyasulu said he had done nothing wrong to warrant what he termed political persecution.

“I can confirm that today [yesterday], the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has officially arrested me on a new offence. They have arrested me together with my other two colleagues Nalishebo Siyandi, a former director for supply planning, and in absentia Chrispin Nchimunya Habbadu, 61, former director for planning, for abuse of authority of office,” he said.

Nyasulu, Siyandi, 55, and Habbadu, 61, were previously arrested in 2023 on charges of willful failure to follow procurement regulations in the awarding of contracts for medicines and medical supplies.

According to DEC, the trio, between January 2023 and December 2025, failed to comply with procurement laws when awarding contracts to 26 companies, resulting in wasteful expenditure and the procurement of medicines that did not meet the required 80 percent shelf-life threshold.

Meanwhile, sources within DEC said Habbadu was arrested in absentia due to illness.

“We were informed that his BP was high, so if you remember, we were supposed to arrest these guys on Monday, but we were informed that he is unwell and that is why we rescheduled the other part to today [yesterday]. However, the same happened and we were instructed to effect an arrest on the trio,” the source said.