… after being summoned on allegations of possession of property believed to be proceeds of crime
By MUKWIMA CHILALA
FORMER Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo has been detained without charge by the Anti-Corruption Commission despite protests from his lawyer that the action was not warranted.
Mr Lusambo’s lawyer, Mr Makebi Zulu, said in in an interview that the ACC failed to prefer charges against his client because the allegations they were making against him were not true.
Mr Zulu said it was clear that the ACC had set out to humiliate his client hence the decision to handcuff him even though he was not a flight risk.
Mr Zulu said he would write a complaint on the treatment his client was subjected to. “They wanted to humiliate him,” he said.
He said the ACC officers, after failing to charge Mr Lusambo said they wanted to take him to Chilanga but he (lawyer) protested. “We told them that someone was almost poisoned in Chilanga and on those grounds protested against the move,” Mr Zulu said.
Mr Lusambo, he said, was accused of having properties in Northgate, where a number of Members of Parliament have properties, but he does not have any property there.
Mr Zulu said the ACC officers interrogating Mr Lusambo kept going upstairs for instructions at each stage including deciding on his detention and where to keep him.
When challenged to arrest him, the officers said they would give him another warn and caution today.
The ACC earlier yesterday summoned Mr Lusambo and recorded a warn and caution statement while interrogations were still being conducted.
Mr Lusambo was summoned by the ACC in connection with, “an investigation which borders on allegations against him, for being in possession of properties reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime,” said ACC spokesperson Queen Chibwe.
Mr Lusambo, the former minister for Lusaka Province, cycled to the ACC head office at Kulima Tower in the central business district.
After 10 hours of interrogations Mr Lusambo appeared in company of his lawyers and some ACC officers who were leading him to his detention cell at Ridgway Police Post.
Mr Zulu confirmed that his client has been detained without any charge and that he will spend the night in a police cell and that police bond procedures will be pursued today.
And peaking just before being led to his cell, Mr Lusambo said that he will not be intimidated by the arrest and that it will instead make him stronger.
