HIGH COURT FRACAS VICTIM DETAINED FOR OVER 58 HOURS WITHOUT CHARGE AS FAMILY PROTESTS

By SIMON MUNTEMBA
LUSAKA High Court fracas victim, Lucas Tompwe has been locked up at Emmasdale Police without being charged for more than a week.

Mr Tompwe is one of Mandevu Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Christopher Shakafuswa’s witnesses in the parliamentary petition case who was assaulted last week by some UPND cadres at the court.
When asked why Mr Tompwe had been detained for more than 48 hours without being charged, Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said Mr Tombwe was under investigation on an allegation of murder .

This is however still against President Hakainde Hichilema’s directive that no citizen should be arrested for more than 48 hours without being charged.

According to Mr Tompwe’s older brother Edward, Mr Tompwe was apprehended on Friday and detained at Emmasdale Police despite being the victim of the brutal attack at the High Court.
“It is very surprising that my brother who is a victim, is the one locked up. We got a medical report after being assaulted by UPND cadres at Lusaka High Court, but to our surprise the victim is the one who ended up being locked up,” he said.
He told the Daily Nation that his brother was unwell as he was badly beaten by the UPND cadres and wondered why he was not being released if the police were still investigating the murder allegations.
Meanwhile, Mr Hamoonga said the police apprehended and detained Mr Tompwe after he was reported for an alleged murder case.
Asked why he has not yet been charged almost a week in custody, Mr Hamoonga said he could not comment further for fear of jeopardizing investigations.

“This matter is under investigation on an allegation of a murder case. When it’s done we shall issue a comprehensive statement,” he said.
Mr Tompwe was last week on Friday assaulted at Lusaka High Court by irate UPND cadres.
He was rushed to Chipata Level One Hospital before being apprehended and detained at Emmasdale Police station.

The fracas happened immediately after the adjournment of the Mandevu Parliamentary petition hearing for continued trial, in a case where losing UPND candidate Aaron Mulope has asked the Lusaka High Court to nullify the election of Mr Shakafuswa as Mandevu MP citing violence and corruption.

On Monday, UPND media director Ruth Dante defended the UPND cadres saying they were merely trying to alert the police on the suspect linked to the death of one of their members.
She accused Mr Tompwe of being behind the murder of one of their members during the 2021 election campaigns and her party cadres were attempting to effect a citizen arrest on him, disregarding the law and available security at court.