ZAF officer killed

Mon, 20 Mar 2017 11:08:32 +0000

…Flight Sergeant Mark Choongwa was allegedly beaten to death by suspects at Woodlands Police station where he was detained for a traffic offence

By Sandra Machima

A ZAMBIA Air Force flight staff sergeant has been killed after being brutally assaulted by police officers and suspects in police cells at Woodlands police station in Lusaka.

Sergeant Mark Nchimunya Choongwa was believed to have been detained at the police station on Friday night after a minor road accident in which he allegedly slammed into someone’s car.

Lusaka Province police commissioner Nelson Phiri, who confirmed the incident to the Daily Nation, said Sergeant Choongwa was beaten by other suspects in the cells and died on arrival at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) where he was rushed for treatment.

He said the incident happened on Friday around 22 hours at Woodlands police station cell.

Mr Phiri said all the suspects involved had since been charged with murder.

“The ZAF official was beaten by suspects in the cells and he died on arrival at UTH and the suspects have since been charged for the offence they have committed,’’ he said.

Sergeant Choongwa’s body is in the UTH mortuary.

But when contacted for a comment, ZAF officials said they did not receive any information on the death of their officer.

However, sources alleged that the deceased was picked up after he accidentally reversed into someone’s car and was detained at Woodlands police station.

The sources said some police officers had beaten him up together with a friend and thereafter he was bundled into the cells with other suspects who started beating him up until he was unconscious.

Sergeant Choongwa was said to have been working at ZAF headquarters at Twin Palm.