Mapenzi inquest in complex twist

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:12:50 +0000

By Gwendolyn Mchenga

THE murder inquest involving a UPND supporter Mapenzi Chibulo who was allegedly shot dead during a march protest just before the last general elections has hit a complex twist as the Magistrate’s Court has redirected the matter to the Inspector General of Police for further investigations.

The docket was sent back to the police for further investigations by Lusaka Magistrate Felix Kaoma, stating that he had difficulties to continue with the case because of the non-availability of the accused.

In his verdict, Magistrate Kaoma ruled that the docket of the murder inquiry should be investigated further because no evidence pointed out the particular person who could have killed Ms Chibulo who met her fate on August 8, last year.

He further ruled that it was difficult for him to ascertain the killer of Ms Chibulo because the evidence of the would-be killer was not availed before court.

Magistrate Kaoma added that he only relied on the forensic report’s findings that the late Ms Chibulo died as a result of gun shots and trauma but that no one had been accused of having shot the UPND cadre.

But shortly after court, Ms Chibulo’s father Douglas Chibulo described the verdict as not fair because he was alive to the fact that his late daughter Mapenzi Chibulo was shot by a Zambia Police officer as testified by the arresting officer Inspector Mwale.

“This is so unfair for the court to rule that the case should be sent back to the police for further investigations when my daughter died at the hands of a heartless police officer,” Mr Chibulo said.

He said he could not believe what the other police officer, Chief Inspector Kaunda told the court that it was not the police who killed his daughter and that the other officer Mr Mwale had lied before court when he confessed that Mapenzi was not shot by a police officer.

“It is a lie. Inspector Kaunda was just trying to hide the truth and cover up for his friend. Otherwise, we are aware as a family that our beloved daughter was killed by a police officer,” Mr Chibulo said.

A total of eight prosecution witnesses were called, verified their statements before court and were being asked questions by interested parties.