Appeal HH’s acquittal state told

Wed, 17 May 2017 10:02:49 +0000

… How could Police film the crime in progres?

By OSCAR MALIPENGA

THE State should appeal against the acquittal of UPND president Hakainde Hichilema because it was in bad faith and the reasons given are unrealistic and farfetched, says Zambia Republican Party (ZRP) president Wright Musoma has recommended.

“We, as Zambians Republic Party, are shocked at the judgment in the case of Hakainde Hichilema where he was acquitted by the magistrate for allegedly insulting the police on ground that there was no sufficient evidence.

“We are really shocked because what evidence was the Magistrate looking for? HH was reported by the police who went to arrest him and were the people who took him to court alleging that he (HH) had insulted him.

“HH showered them terrible insults but they restrained themselves from beating him because of the nature of the insults where he called them dogs, mother f****rs and idiots,” he said.

He wondered whether the magistrate expected the police to be moving with cameras whenever they were going to arrest a suspect.

“I really doubt, because out of all the people, how can the police concoct that Hakainde Hichilema had insulted them when he did not insult them? That has really shocked us,” Mr Musoma said.

He said Mr Hichilema was on record of even insulting the judges.

“So, how can he say that there is no sufficient evidence? He insulted and that is the bottom line because the police officer reported… What HH did is what the police officers reported, he insulted them and they reported and that is enough evidence to secure a conviction for Hakainde Hichilema,” he said.

Mr Musoma urged the State not to be intimidated but appeal that acquittal to the High Court.

He said Mr. Hichilema had no rights whatsoever to call police officers dogs for doing their job because these (police) were servants of the people who could work for anybody even after the Patriotic Front government was no longer in power.

Mr. Musoma said police officers had been there during MMD and UNIP and would continue existing in all the government to come, adding that no single reasonable politician should not insult people who were doing a good jobs.

“We strongly urge the State to appeal that acquittal because we feel it is in bad taste,” Mr. Musoma said.