By LUCY PHIRI
AN Anti Corruption Commission officer yesterday complained that Amos Chanda, his wife and sister in law called them criminals, idiots who were just on a witch hunt because they had been sent.
However, Chanda, 49, the former press aide to former president, Edgar Lungu, his wife, Mabel Chanda, 48 and sister-in-law, Ruth Nakaundi, 37, pleaded not guilty to obstruction of ACC officers and using insulting language against the same officers.
This is in the matter in which Chanda and two others have been charged with obstruction of and insulting ACC officers. William Chilufya, 34, ACC investigations officer told the court that Chanda repeatedly said, “don’t be stupid. Who sent you”, and challenged the legality of the search. He said Chanda claimed the search was illegal.
He said after searching the farm, they got some items which he could not disclose because the investigations was still ongoing. He said the found the farm manager who called Chanda to alert him that there were people from the ACC.
Then Chanda requested to talk to one of the officers Chilufya said when they got to the farm, the manager there refused to allow them to search because his boss (Amos) was not around but they went ahead to search.
After the search at the farm, the officers went to Chanda’s house in State Lodge and on the way, Chanda called the officer requesting to know what the search was all about. However, they could not disclose and proceeded to State Lodge but he did not witness what transpired there because he was assigned to the Woodlands property. He said the officers could not allow Ruth Nakaundi to enter the house and that was when she insulted them.
He said Chanda was served with search warrant in the presence of his lawyers and Chanda requested that the ACC team be searched before they entered the house. But they entered the house and Chanda continued challenging the legality of the search and issuing statements which ACC considered to be harassment and insults. “Criminals, foolish, rubbish and that the exercise was a witch hunt,” he said.
He said during the search, they came across two rooms which were locked and they were told the owners were away with the keys. But the officers insisted to check what was in the room but were allegedly denied access.
So they decided to break the two doors and that was when the two ladies allegedly unleashed insults. They forced their way in and found a bag which one of the ladies said was a first aid kit for an old man. When they opened, the found that it was indeed a first aid kit. The matter comes up on November 22 for continued hearing.
