Don’t tells us who to arrest or detain, police warn activist

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 14:15:13 +0000

 By MUKOSELA KASALWE

THE Police will not be lectured on how to carry out their investigations or who they decide to keep under their custody after breaking the law, says Southern Province Police Commissioner Bonny Kapeso.

Mr. Kapeso was reacting to Namwala Central councillor Jeff Sitali who said the police in the province should have thoroughly investigated a case involving a minor girl-child aged 16 at Namwala High School charged with infanticide and offer the suspect decent treatment.

In an interview with the Sunday Nation yesterday, the police commissioner wondered what the councillor expected in such a situation saying the police were trained professionals and he could not be lectured on how to enforce the law or which law breakers were kept in custody or not.

He said the job of the police was to keep suspects in custody and not outside their confinement and stated that the authority would not be taught how to do their investigations by anyone including the area councillor.

“The Police will not allow civilians to teach us on how to carry out our investigations not even the councillor and who or not to keep in custody. Our job is to keep suspects in custody,” he said.

Mr. Sitali said he was deeply concerned that a juvenile had been charged with infanticide even before proper investigations were concluded and without a doctor’s medical report on circumstances that could have given rise to the incident.

He said his office would support government programs aimed at sensitizing minors on the dangers of engaging in premarital sex.

The civic leader urged Human Rights Commission of Zambia to take special interest on such cases and the women movement to stand for and seek to advance the rights of girl children to ensure they are not denied their rights.

Mr. Sitali said his office was indebted to the Social Welfare Officer, two female guidance teachers and PTA representatives who stood by the girl during her difficult time of being on detention and when her parents were not available to offer her any support at such a trying moment.