Mon, 29 May 2017 12:55:54 +0000
By AARON CHIYANZO
IT is illegal for UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to give interviews while in custody, hence any tabloids carrying news stories purported to have come from him will be investigated, says Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS) commissioner general Percy Chato.
And National Revolution Party (NRP) president Cosmo Mumba has challenged ZICTA to explain how Mr Hichilema was able to tweet and post videos on social media platforms.
Dr. Mumba said that Mr Hichilema who was in incarceration should not be allowed to access services that were capable of compromising court proceedings.
Both the Mast Newspaper and Radio Phoenix yesterday carried headlines, ‘PF Brutal…we are being led by ignorant, ruthless dictators’, attributed to Mr Hichilema.
But Mr Chato said that it was against the law for Mr Hichilema whose case was before the courts of law to give interviews to the media.
He explained that the UPND leader could not be allowed to give interviews on any matter as he was still appearing before the courts.
Mr Chato said in an interview with the Daily Nation that all the prison visits were documented and that there was no way officers would allow Mr Hichilema to give interviews considering the gravity of the offence he was charged with. He reiterated that investigations would be instituted into the matter to find out exactly how the tabloid had been getting information for the news stories attributed to Mr Hichilema.
“We cannot allow any person doing interviews in prison, such visits are restricted. We cannot allow any abuse to the system, everything is documented. There is no way journalists can be allowed to come and interview Mr Hichilema at this time.
“But we will still have to investigate and find out the real information behind these,” said Mr Chato.
Mr Chato assured that in as much as visiting Mr Hichilema in prison was allowed, illegalities could not be allowed and that the officers were equal to the task.
Dr. Mumba warned that the UPND could be communicating with potential witnesses on these social media platforms.
Meanwhile, Patriotic Front (PF) deputy spokesperson Frank Bwalya said that Mr Hichilema should vent his anger and frustrations on his lawyers who were deliberately delaying his court case.
Mr Bwalya warned the UPND leader to desist from calling senior members of PF names and concentrate on his court case.
He pleaded with Mr Hichilema to leave the PF alone as they did not have anything to do with his prolonged stay in prison.
