By NATION REPORTER
CHISHIMBA Kambwili faces arrest for allegedly asking Kaumbwe residents during the recent Parliamentary by-election campaigns in Eastern province to vote for former President Edgar Lungu, in the same way their friends in Southern province voted for President Hakainde Hichilema.
But a PF official has however questioned why Kafue council chairperson, Buumba Malambo whose remarks similarly encouraged Tongas to vote for UPND was not being arrested.
And Chinsali Member of Parliament, Kalalwe Mukosa who was arrested for alleged assault during the campaigns for the August elections, has said the arrests of PF members were mere persecution of former ruling party officials.
Police yesterday announced that they had forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) a docket of the case of alleged tribal remarks involving Mr Kambwili, a PF member for authorisation to prosecute.
Inspector General of Police, Lemmy Kajoba said police opened an inquiry file regarding the alleged tribal remarks by Dr Kambwili on September 30, 2021 around 16:00hrs at Kaumbwe School Grounds in Petauke during the Kaumbwe Parliamentary by-election campaigns.
Mr Kajoba said police conducted investigations and compiled a docket which had since been forwarded to the DPP. He said in a statement that the alleged offence required consent to prosecute from the DPP’s office. “Instructions are still being awaited from the office of the DPP,” Mr Kajoba said. Earlier his appointment, the Inspector General had revealed that all old cases not prosecuted would be revisited and resurrected.
And Mr Mukosa said in an interview that the arrests were mere witch-hunt by the new regime. He said that he had not committed any offence for him to be arrested and charged for assault along with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Chinsali.
He said it was evident that there was a witch-hunt because facts indicated that he was not part of the people that allegedly assaulted losing UPND mayoral candidate Lewis Bwalya. Meanwhile, Mr Kajoba has said that one suspect had been identified and was yet to be arrested over the murder of Lawrence Banda on the 6th of October, 2019 in Kaoma during the campaigns for the Council Chairperson byelection.
He said that police have also charged and arrested male Kaumba Manjolo aged 50 years of lukulu town centre, who is former district commissioner for mitete for three counts of unlawful wounding which occurred on June, 29th 2015 in during the mulobezi parliamentary by-election. Mr Kajoba said police had re-instituted investigations regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of the deceased male Obed Kasongo, who was then NDC youth chairperson for Lusaka province resulting in the arrest of Kabushi MP, Bowman Lusambo. “The 2016 shooting incident at the Supreme Court grounds during the presidential petition is being investigated,” he said.
Mr Kajoba said police were also investigating another shooting incident involving male Mushaukwa Mushaukwa aged 47 years of Sesheke who is alleged to have been shot on the 5th of June, 2021 around 17:00hrs in Sichili area during the campaign period for the mulobezi byelection. PF Kawambwa MP, Nickson Chilangwa and Pambashe MP, Ronald Chitotela were also on Tuesday arrested and charged with arson, malicious damage to property, assault and threatening violence.
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