DRUGS WERE PLANTED ON ME – KALIMANSHI
By LUCY PHIRI
THE drugs that were found in my vehicle were planted by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers, Innocent Kalimanshi told the Lusaka magistrate court yesterday.
And Kalimanshi said officers tried to coerce him into making peace with former Lusaka PF Provincial Chairperson Kennedy Kamba as a condition for my matter to be settled.
“I was told by officers that my issue was politically motivated and that I needed to make peace with Kamba for the matter to be settled,” Kalimanshi told the court.
This is in an ongoing matter before Magistrate Sanford Ngobola, where Kalimanshi and five others are accused of trafficking in 2 grams of cannabis using an unregistered Nissan vehicle.
He denied ever trafficking in drugs and alleged that the drugs found in his vehicle were planted by the officers that conducted search.
Mr Kalimanshi, who is a commander of the radical group called “Ama American” also denied ever smoking marijuana in his life.
Giving evidence, the other five co -accused in their defence said, on the material day said, they were at the PF camp house when the DEC officers came without notice and started slapping and searching them.
‘’The officers came at 03:30 when we were sleeping in the PF camp house and started slapping us and searching us. They got our phones and money.’’ They said.
They said DEC never found drugs with any of them whilst searching but were shown when they were taken to the Lusaka Police headquarters.
They explained that they don’t smoke and when they are at the camp in Chawama, it was for business as they are all cardres who wanted their party to win.
The matter will come up on December 31, 2021 for judgement.
The first count alleges that Titus Phiri, Nkandu Mundubi, Andrew Monde, Melvin Sichinga and Emmanuel Mwape on July 23, 2021, in Lusaka, did traffic in psychotropic substances namely 95.3 grams of cannabis, And sativa without lawful authority.
In count two, it is alleged that Andrew Monde on July 23, 2021, in Lusaka trafficked a psychotropic substance, namely 36 grams of cannabis, the product of cannabis sativa without lawful authority.
In the third count, it is alleged that Kalimanshi on July 23, 2021, in Lusaka did traffick 2.0 grams of cannabis, the product of cannabis sativa without lawful authority.
In the fourth count, it is alleged that Kalimanshi, on the same date unlawfully used an unregistered Nissan Fairlady for purposes of committing an offense under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
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