Thu, 17 Nov 2016 15:23:30 +0000
FORMER MMD president Nevers Mumba lied to security personnel at the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation main gate to gain access to the building, Zambia Police Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Ng’ambi testified in court yesterday.
DCI Ng’ambi told Lusaka Magistrate David Simusamba that the police officers manning ZNBC entrance only allowed Dr Mumba into the premises because he told them that he had an appointment with the news editors.
The DCI said he was assigned to investigate the criminal trespass charge against the opposition leader who reportedly stormed into ZNBC in the night of 8th September 2016.
He explained that investigations in the matter revealed that Dr Mumba lied to the police officers at the gate who, after recognizing Dr Mumba as a senior member of society, allowed him entry into the premises despite the late hour.
“The incident happened between 2100 – 22 00hrs. Dr Mumba told the officers guarding at the gate that he had an appointment with the editors in ZNBC television studio one newsroom.
“And having known him as a public figure, the officers allowed him entry at the main gate,” DCI Ng’ambi testified. The former MMD leader allegedly harassed staff and demanded to see the main news scripts following the Constitutional Court’s decision to throw out a presidential elections petition to allow for the presidential inauguration to go ahead.
Dr Mumba was allegedly in the studio for about 10 minutes and walked out after having been shown the news script.
Meanwhile, both parties have asked for time to file applications and their responses respectively and the magistrate has warned that if they delay to do so, he would go ahead and deliver his ruling on December 14, 2016, the date set for next hearing in the matter.
