By GIDEON NYENDWA
POLICE raided my house yesterday because I’m calling on Zambians to impeach President Hakainde Hichilema, Economic and Equity Party president Chilufya Tayali has said.
Mr Tayali said that armed police officers raided his home in a bid to arrest him just because he was pushing for the impeachment of Mr Hichilema.
He said the police had instructions to have him locked up because he was planning to get signatures calling for the impeachment of the head of state.
“I want to protest with a placard at the coming Africa Union summit that will be hosted by Zambia and I think that is the reason why they are scared.
Mr Tayali said he would not rest until his objective was achieved because the head of state had failed to deliver what he promised the Zambians.
He said the police failed to detain him and they would get back at an opportune time.
The police forced themselves in Mr Tayali’s residence and had a confrontation with his lawyer Mr. Makebi Zulu who was suggesting that he would take his client to the police.
But the police insisted that they wanted to pick Mr Tayali and go with him in the vehicle they came with.
And Mr Tayali said this was a government of laws and he wondered why he was being arrested because the police were not explaining it to him.
He said his lawyers had been asking them to give a reason why they were picking him but their answer was that they would go and talk when they reached the police headquarters.
Mr Tayali said he knew that they wanted to put him inside but he wondered how many times they were going to be arresting him because they had arrested him three times already.
He said a country that was run by the rule of law needed to understand that there were procedures to follow when arresting someone and he was innocent until proven guilty.
Mr Tayali said as far as he was concerned, he had not done anything because if he had the police would have told him that before picking him.
He said he wondered why the police wanted to go with him in their vehicle like a common criminal when he was ready to follow them with his lawyer.
“The rule of law in this country was just lip service,” he said.
Mr Tayali said the freedom of speech in this country that the UPND was boasting about was only a reality when one was praising the government.
He said the things that were happening in this country were affecting Zambians more and the people needed to rise to face the government head on.
Mr Tayali said President Hichilema needed to be impeached because had failed the people.
And Patriotic Front information and publicity chairperson Raphael Nakacinda said they came to offer solidarity as soon as they heard that his house had been rounded up by the police.
Mr Nakacinda said injustice to one was injustice to all, they had a collective responsibility to defend the rights of citizens and Mr Tayali was a Zambian citizen and must enjoy those rights.
He said he had been subjected to such kind of abuse before and he understands how law enforcement agencies were being used to victimise and abuse citizens.
Mr Nakacinda said the only crime that Mr Tayali had committed was speaking out on behalf Zambians who were suffering.
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