By MUKWIMA CHILALA
AFTER hours of cat and mouse games with Police dilly dallying and claiming that the dealing officer was unavailable, Raphael Nakachinda has been released from detention for allegedly defaming the President.
It took Munir Zulu and lawyer, Jonas Zimba to go and fetch the officer from police Headquarters, which is about 3 kilometers from Woodlands Police Station.
The duo decided to go and look for the officer after fearing that the day may endwith Mr Nakacinda’s still cooling his heels in the cells.
Mr Nakacinda, who is Patriotic Front Chairman for Information and Media was finally released from Police detention after a long dramatic fight to secure bond.
And Mr Nakacinda has vowed to continue speaking out against the new dawn government’s inflicted challenges despite his continued arrests and detentions.
Mr Nakacinda was on Thursday morning detained by the Zambia Police for alleged defamation of the President and proposing violence.
The PF chairman for Information was on Thursday however denied bond as he was yet to be charged for the two counts alleged against him .
His lawyers, Makebi Zulu and Jonas Zimba with PF members of Parliament and party Members of the Central Committee who were led by their vice president Given Lubinda spent the whole of yesterday trying to secure bond for their detained party member .
Their efforts however almost hit a snag as the arresting officer was said to have been away and PF members and Lawyers were made to wait for about seven hours without any success to get their colleague released .
With time running out and being a Friday , it took Lawyer Jonas Zimba and Lumezi Member of Parliament Munir Zulu to go and fetch the arresting officer at Zambia Police Headquarters round 15:30 hours .
Mr Zimba reappeared at Woodlands Police Post with the arresting officer whothen initiated Police bond formalities which again took about three hours to be completed .
Mr Nakacinda was again faced with the possibility of spending another night in police detention as he had to be taken back to Force Headquarters for more formalities which took 30 minutes. They returned back to Woodlands where he was then charged and released on bond .
And Speaking after his release Mr Nakacinda said that attempts to intimidate him through arrests will not work as he will not be cowed into silence.
” It has been dramatic, the attempt to intimidate us through the cells will not work .Mr Hakainde Hichilema needs to just work because his defense is not in trying to harass us ,” Mr Nakacinda said .
“His defense is in trying to make sure that fuel is cheap, fertilizer scandals are investigated with those responsible brought to book . In Kabwata they want to win at all cost but even if they change their candidate and bring another one from Tanzania , we will still beat them ,” he said.
PF senior members available to offer solidarity included acting Secretary General Nickson Chilangwa, Leader of opposition Brian Mundubile, former Ministers Jean Kapata , Nkandu Luo Mutotwe Kafwaya , MP’s Francis Fube and Robert Kapyangaamong others .
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