Thu, 24 Aug 2017 10:39:50 +0000
…Shoddy investigations embarrassing Govt
By Aaron Chiyanzo and Charles Musonda
POLICE are embarrassing government through shoddy investigations leading to acquittals in the courts of law, Zambia Republican Party (ZRP) president Wright Musoma has observed.
Mr Musoma said that most suspects with cases against the State were being acquitted on the pretext that there was not enough evidence because of shoddy investigations by the police.
He reiterated that the investigative wings were deliberately doing shoddy work to embarrass the State.
Mr Musoma said in an interview that the laissez-faire attitude by the police was worrisome as the prosecution team was pathetic.
He wondered why straight forward cases were all ending up into acquittals and that the matter should be investigated.
Mr Musoma charged that the cartel had either infiltrated the police.
“What is going on needs attention especially from the government. These acquittals don’t make sense and there are two things to it. It’s either Government is accepting that they have been malicious or someone has stopped them. So, Government should be proactive,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Musoma said that Government should wake up and root out individuals who were not performing according to expectations.
He questioned why Government was keeping and wasting money on incompetent people, who were not performing up to standard.
Mr Musoma said that some people were breaking the law with impunity but that they were being freed on the pretext that there was not enough evidence when taken to court.
Meanwhile, the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has acquitted a 52-year-old police officer who was charged with one count of defamation of the President.
Peter Habasimbi walked to freedom yesterday after Magistrate Silvia Munyinya found that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond any reasonable doubt.
“From the evidence before me, the prosecution witnesses gave different versions of what the accused was alleged to have said. It is clear that there were serious discrepancies and it is difficult for me to believe that he published the said word,
“The arresting officer’s statement did not match with what other witnesses said. In the absence of evidence to resolve these inconsistencies, they have to be resolved in the accused’s favour. These inconsistencies raise a serious doubt as to whether he said what the witnesses said and it is not safe to conclude that the accused published the said words,” Ms. Munyinya said.
She said the burden of proof was on the prosecution to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt and that the standard of proof must be beyond any reasonable doubt.
“It is clear that the prosecution has failed to prove defamation of the President. I, therefore, find the accused not guilty and acquit him forthwith.”
She also said it was unacceptable for officers at Chawama police station to detain Habasimbi for 22 days and deny him police bond before he was taken to court on May 16, 2017 after his arrest on April 25, 2017.
