THE Ndola Magistrate Court yesterday discharged Ndola Central Member of Parliament (MP) Mark Mushili in a matter in which he is accused of money laundering involving K6 billion but was arrested soon afterwards for the same charges.

Ndola chief resident magistrate, Kelvin Limbani discharged Mushili after the prosecutor in the matter entered a nolle prosequi.

This is a matter in which Mushili, 61, of 32 Dr Damie Street in Ndola, was charged on three counts of obtaining goods by false pretences, three counts of fraudulent removal of property from a company in liquidation and three counts of theft by person having interest in the things stolen.

Mushili also faced a charged of money laundering.

Particulars of the offence were that Mushili between May 2008 and August the same year in Ndola, while acting together with persons unknown with intent to defraud, obtained fuel from Tazama Pipelines under Anegi Oil Limited and purported that the company's account had sufficient funds.

In April last year, Mushili fraudulently removed property from Anegi Oil Limited and he was alleged to have obtained more than K4 billion from Anegi Oils which was in liquidation a year before it winded up.

He is also alleged to have stolen K56 million from Anegi Oils, a company in which he was a major shareholder and is alleged to have engaged in illegal transactions involving more than K3 billion and deposited that amount in a Marks Motorways account, a company in which he is a shareholder, while knowing that the money was illegally obtained.

When the matter came up yesterday for mention and setting of trial dates, Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) prosecutor Max Mukumano told the court that the State was entering a nolle prosequi and was, therefore, discontinuing proceedings.

Mr Limbani said in view of the State's position on the matter, he was discharging Mushili.

Mushili was being represented by Kelvin Msoni who told the court that there were two other advocates who would also represent him but were before the High Court yesterday.

But after Mushili left the court room, he was re-arrested by DEC officers.

DEC public relations manager, John Nyawali confirmed the arrest in an interview, saying the commission had re-arrested Mushili to facilitate joint charges for the MP and his son Sydney, who was arrested on similar charges.

Sydney, 33, was on July 24 arrested for similar charges and his property was confiscated by DEC in relation to the case.