Tue, 13 Feb 2018 10:03:12 +0000
…For fraternizing fugitive law breaker, Pilato
By AARON CHIYANZO
OPPOSITION leaders have demanded for the arrest of Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba following revelations that he has visited Chama Fumba, whose bench warrant is still active.
The Lusaka magistrate court recently issued a bench warrant for self-exiled musician, Chama Fumba also known as Pilato for failing to show up at the court when the matter in which he is charged alongside political activist Laura Miti and three others came up.
The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) told Daily Nation that they had information that the UPND through its vice president for politics GBM, had sponsored Pilato to flee the country, claiming persecution by the state.
Lusaka lawyer, Tutwa Ngulube however warned that the UPND vice president for politics risked being jailed for aiding Pilato to run away to South Africa.
But some opposition leaders have demanded for the arrest of Mr Mwamba, to pave way for investigations as the bench warrant for Pilato was still active.
Both Zambia Republican Party (ZRP) president Wright Musoma and 3rd Liberation Movement (3rd LM)’s Enock Tonga said in separate interviews that Mr Mwamba was an accomplice to criminality.
Mr Musoma said that aiding a fugitive whose bench warrant was still active was illegal and should trigger immediate action from law enforcement agencies.
“If GBM was truly in South Africa to aid Pilato when a bench warrant on him is active here, then he should be arrest immediately and investigations instituted. Then such a person is supporting criminality, law enforcement agencies should swing to action,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Tonga said that assertions that the opposition UPND was sponsoring Pilato should not be taken lightly.
He said that it was criminal for anyone to abate a person hide from the law, when they were needed to answer for their crimes.
Mr Tonga charged that the opposition leader ought to have known that it was criminal to aid a person was hiding from the law.
And Mr Tutwa earlier said once convicted, the UPND leaders risked being blacklisted such that they will not contest any elections in Zambia.
He said that it was morally and legally wrong for political leaders like Mr Mwamba, who aspires to be the country’s republican vice president to actually pose on photos with a fugitive or a wanted person.
Pilato fled the country when he was supposed to appear before a court of law in a case where he and others are charged with disobeying lawful orders when they staged an illegal protest against the government’s purchase of 42 fire tenders in September last year.
He jumped police bond which prompted Lusaka principal resident magistrate Mwaka Mikalile to issue a bench warrant against him.
