The Zambian government says it has arrested and deported two senior staff members who worked at telco Zamtel while it was under Libyan operator Lap Green Network’s control.

In January this year, Zambia’s government took over Lap Green’s majority stake in Zamtel. The government said the takeover came amid accusations of irregularities regarding Lap Green’s purchase of Zamtel.

As a result, LAP Green Networks is battling in the Zambian courts to have the government reverse its takeover decision.

But more controversy has emerged regarding this situation, as Zamtel’s former chief financial officer Adnan Haye and the company’s previous managing director Hans Paulsen are said to have been arrested by the immigration department for being in Zambia illegally. Both men’s work permits allegedly expired.
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Reports have also emerged about Haye having then been deported to Pakistan on August 20 at night, after he spent a number days behind bars.

Home Affairs minister Edgar Lungu further said that Paulsen has been deported to Uganda, his country of origin.

“We deported Paulsen ... because he was “undesirable” to Zambia,” Lungu said.

Lungu further accused Paulsen of having been in possession of two working permits – for Zambia and Sierra Leone.

However, Paulsen has issued a statement hitting back at Lungu’s deportation claims, as the former Zamtel employee says he left Zambia on his own eight months ago when the company was repossessed.

“I would like to put it on record and express my utmost disappointment at the false statement made by the minister of Home Affairs, Edgar Lungu, who falsely and maliciously made the statement in the media that I had been deported when in fact I have never been in Zambia since January 2012,” said Paulsen.

Adding, “This is the time that I resigned from Zamtel and subsequently left Zambia for my home country, Uganda. The foregoing can be verified by the immigration officials in Uganda and from my passport.”

Paulsen said he will demand an apology from the Zambian government over the deportation claims.