Mon, 17 Apr 2017 10:21:35 +0000
By BENNIE MUNDANDO & CHARLES MUSONDA
THE police will not take lightly unjustified statements from the UPND suggesting that Hakainde Hichilema’s health has deteriorated because he was poisoned during the process of arrest.
Police spokesperson Esther Katongo said the allegation made by UPND spokesman Charles Kakoma was misleading and unfounded because HH’s personal physician had been allowed to conduct routine medical check-ups and would have attested to any poor health by the opposition leader.
Mr Kakoma claimed that Mr Hichilema’s health was deteriorating in detention and that police had denied him medical attention,
Ms. Katongo described the statement as misleading, saying every detainee had the right to seek medical attention when sick.
She said police would not take it kindly on the UPND if it continued issuing unwarranted statements which had the potential of inciting members of the public to react from falsehood.
“As police we will not take such unjustified statements lightly because they are aimed at destabilising the security of the nation. One wonders why we could deny Mr Hichilema medical attention when he is just a suspect because even people who are convicted have got a right to medical attention.
“The truth of the matter is that from the time Mr Hichilema was detained, the police have been allowing Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s personal doctor to visit him and conduct routine medical checks on him. Statements such as the one attributed to Mr. Kakoma are misleading and bent on inciting members of the public and should be dismissed,’’ Ms. Katongo said.
She maintained that at no time did police deny any medical officer from meeting Mr. Hichilema, saying the statements form the UPND should be ignored because the party was not being truthful on the matter.
“A person who is in police custody, whether a common man on the street or politician, is entitled to seek medical attention when he is sick. People should ignore these lies from the UPND that Mr. Hichilema is seek and has been denied medical attention because his own doctors have been visiting him.
“If Mr. Hichilema was poisoned as they are claiming, his doctors should have been the first ones to confirm that. All these rumours circulating on social media that Mr. Hichilema was poisoned are all false. If people want to get the truth about Mr. Hichilema’s health, his doctors are there,” she said.
Meanwhile, the PF Mr. Hichilema’s lawyer Jack Mwiimbu to apologise for alleging that police officers poisoned the UPND leader when they apprehended him at his New Kasama home last Tuesday.
