By OLIVER SAMBOKO AND ANDREW MUKOMA
SENIOR Chief Mukuni may have haboured the missing Hatembo siblings because they were at one time able to use his wife, Veronica Mwanakasale Mukuni’s phone within the palace, cyber experts have said.
According to cyber experts Pheluna used the queen’s mobile phone to family members and this was done from within the palace.
Signals from the Hatembo phones could not be tracked because their phones were switched off from the time they disappeared.
“At one point Pheluna Hatembo stayed at senior Chief Mukuni’s palace and this what has led to the arrest of Queen Veronica Mukuni in the ongoing police investigation into the abduction of the Hatembo siblings.
Pheluna and her brother Milton are witnesses in the case in which UPND president, Hakainde Hichilema is believed to have dispossessed them of their 2, 000-hectare farm number 1924 Kalomo by allegedly manipulating records and signaturesat the Ministry of Lands.
Yesterday the Police arrested and charged wife to Senior Chief Mukuni, Veronica Mwanakasale Mukuni with the offence of Abduction contrary to section 253 of Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
The queen of the Toka-leya people of Kazungula, Zimba and Livingstone is in police custody in Lusaka.
This is a matter in which Pheluna and Milton Hatembo are reported to have been abducted.
Police spokesperson Esther Katongo said Mrs Mukuni has been jointly charged with Choma businessman Fines Malambo, UPND senior officials Ackson Sejani, Javen Simoloka and Vincent Lilanda who are Choma and Mazabuka mayors respectively.
The Hatembo siblings were last seen in February after they appeared during a media briefing organized by the Zitukule Consortium and disclosed that they had been in hiding from people forcing them to appeal the matter in court.
Five people have far been arrested while the whereabouts of two suspect, a UPND supporter, Tom Silwiindi and another remain unknown.
And some villagers yesterday gathered at the Livingstone Central Police station to protest the arrest of Mrs Mukuni.
The villagers protested that since being summoned on Monday in Livingstone, Ms Mukuni has not returned to the palace.
The villagers who caught the police unawares were ferried in trucks and smaller vehicles while singing and playing traditional drums.
At the police, the protesters were advised to select representatives and members of the traditional team so that they could be informed about the detention of their chief’s wife.
The protesters were led by Mr Ernest Nzala, also known as “Mutozi” who acts as the chief’ spokesperson at the palace.
However, their protest was short lived after they were advised by a senior police officer a Mr Mushanga told them disperse saying that what they were doing was unnecessary and not allowed.
