By SIMON MUNTEMBA
AFTER a series of raids at Amos Chanda’s properties, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday arrested him but could only charge him with obstruction and using insulting language against officers.
And Patriotic Front Chinsali MP, Kalalwe Mukosa has been arrested for assault along with the mayor and deputy mayor for Chinsali while Kawambwa MP, Nickson Chilangwa and Pambashe MP, Ronald Chitotela have also been arrested and charged with arson, malicious damage to property, assault and threatening violence. And in a brief interview after a six hour interrogation, Mr Chanda said he was not corrupt and has never been and that is why he has never been charged with such. Mr Chanda, former Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, was yesterday arrested for allegedly obstructing ACC officers during a raid and using insulting language. ACC spokesperson, Queen Chibwe said Mr Chanda had been arrested together with his wife, Mable aged 48 and his Sister-in-law Ruth Nakaundi, 37.
Ms Chibwe said Mr Chanda, 49, of House No. 67, Elm Road in Woodlands had been charged with One Count of Using Insulting Language contrary to Section 179 of Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia, and One Count of Obstruction Contrary to Section 63 (c) of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 3 of 2012. She said Ms. Chanda and Ms Nakaundi were jointly charged with One Count of using Insulting Language and one Count of Obstruction.
The trio were interrogated for more than six hours yesterday at the ACC headquarters in Lusaka. Ms Chibwe said in the first Count, Mr. Chanda on October 27th 2021 in Lusaka allegedly used insulting language on three ACC Officers as they were executing their duties.
She said the conduct was likely to give provocation to the named officers so as to cause them to break the peace or commit an offence. Ms Chibwe said in the Second Count, Ms. Chanda and Ms Nakaundi, on the same date in Lusaka, whilst acting together allegedly did use insulting language repeatedly on named officers of the Commission, a conduct likely to give provocation to the officers so as to cause them to break the peace or commit an offence.
“Details in the third Count are that the trio, on the same date did obstruct and delay officers of the Anti-Corruption Commission in lawful exercise of their duty to search House No. 67, Elm road, Woodlands in Lusaka, when they stated that the keys to the bedrooms were with another person purported to have travelled out of town when in fact not,” she said.
Ms Chibwe said the three had since been released on bond and would appear in Court soon. She warned that suspects who were in the habit of obstructing law enforcement officers during the execution of their duties were committing a criminal offence and that the Commission would not hesitate to use the law and bring such individuals to book. Meanwhile, Mr Chanda has insisted, “I am not corrupt and I never obstructed nor used insulting language to the officers,” Mr Chanda said. He instead complained that during the search, one of the officers allegedly threatened to shoot him for stopping him from throwing a medication box on the floor.
Mr Chanda said at the weekend that he had lost money amounting to K64, 000, title deeds and other documents which were in one of his vehicles after his vehicle was broken into. And in a strange development, Mr Chanda’s laptop bag containing his personal issues was discovered by an Evelyn Hone College student.
Mr Chanda told the Daily Nation that he was shocked to find an ACC search warrant among the recovered items, yet the document had not been served on him and should not have been among his items. He also revealed that whereas his passport and title deeds had been recovered, documents with government emblem, laptop, IPad and the K64, 000 were still missing.
Meanwhile, Smart Eagles reports that PF Chinsali MP Kalalwe Mukosa has been arrested for assault. Mr Mukosa posted on his Faceboo that he was summoned at the Chinsali Central Police Station where he was arrested and jointly charged with the Chinsali Mayor – Lucy Mukuka, the Deputy Mayor for Chinsali – Lameck Bwalya and a supporter – Mutale Kennedy Bashi Kelvin. Mr Mukosa said this is in the matter in which the four have been accused of having assaulted Lewis Bwalya and in a case which was reported on June 10, 2021.
