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Mongu Parent Appeals To LRF Over Her Son's
Death
By Perpetual Sichikwenkwe in Mongu
A Mongu parent has asked the Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) to assist her
find out the circumstances that caused the death of her son who was in
police custody.
Fridah Mbangweta also wants the Foundation to assist her get the results of
the postmortem of her son Joseph Musonda so that she can ascertain what
caused his death.
Mbangweta told The LRF News in an interview in Mongu that Joseph, 24, in
October 2004 left for Kamfinsa to go and stay with his brother Patrick while
looking for a job.
Mbangweta said that on September 8, 2005, she received a call from Patrick
informing her that Musonda had been arrested on September 4 and was detained
at Kamfinsa Model Police Post for defilement.
She said later she received another call informing her that Musonda had
escaped from lawful custody on September 6 and police were looking for him.
Mbangweta said she never received any report or saw Musonda come home until
on September 14 when she received another call from Patrick informing her
that her son was murdered by unknown people and his body was lying in Kitwe
Central Hospital mortuary.
She alleged that when she went for a funeral, she was told by Patrick's
neighbours that Musonda was beaten by the officers who picked him up from
his brother’s house.
She said because of the reports, she went to Kamfinsa Model police post to
enquire and she was surprised that her son was in a cell that was surrounded
with other building on all sides and wondered how possible it could have
been for Musonda to escape at 16:00 hours without being caught.
Mbangweta was referred to Wusakile Police Station where she was informed
that her son's dead body was picked at a place known as 6 Feet and there was
no sign of an accident at the scene.
She said she went to Kitwe Central Police Station where she opened a docket
for murder and on September 19 2005, a postmortem was conducted. Mbangweta
alleged that she was asked to pay K180,000 but she was not given a receipt
for the same and was also surprised that when her son was brought out of the
mortuary, he had no clothes on him.
She wants LRF to assist her find out the cause of death of her son and seek
compensation if she finds out that the people who killed her son are known.
LRF Mongu supervising lawyer Paul Mulenga said that the case would be
referred to Kitwe Legal Advice Centre for follow ups because the deceased
met his death in Kitwe.
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