A KAUNDA Square man whose leg was broken during torture by Chelston Police Station officers was kept in custody for nine days, without medical attention.

Jimmy Bweengo told Kaunda Square Legal Advice Centre paralegal officer Androphina Bubala he was arrested on November 14, 2000, detained at Kaunda Square police post and battered by police officers from Chelston police station.

Bweengo, Coaster Mwiinga, Moses Chondo, Petros Zyambo and others were accused of having stolen Rose Sinkala’s bus on November 11, last year.

Bweengo said he was put on the infamous Kampelwa and beaten.

"The officers started beating me with a short baton, concentrating so much on my legs. During the beating, my leg was broken. It got so swollen that I failed to walk. I asked the officers to take me to the hospital but they refused and detained me in the cell for 6 days," explained Bweengo.

He said he was later taken to Ben Mwiinga Police station so the wounds could heal. By this time, Bweengo had been at the post for nine days. He was released unconditionally when his workmates visited him and taken to the hospital.

According to the medical report dated December 6, this year, Bweengo had bruises on both hands and legs. An X-ray was conducted and confirmed the leg was broken.

The other accused, Mwiinga, said he was also arrested on November 24 around 03:00hours by three unknown police officers from the same police post and detained for three days at the post.

"Whilst in the cells, I was put on the Kampelwa. The police officers took turns in beating me using a short baton. They were asking me where the bus was but I told them I didn’t know anything," he said.

He was released unconditionally.

Zyambo was tortured at Chelston Police Station for 14 days and sustained wounds on his feet and arm.

He was released without being given a medical report form. Bubala instructed him to get the form so a doctor could examine him.

The three are employees of Sinkala but Chondo works for his uncle.

Kaunda Square Police Post Criminal Investigating Officer, Constable Billy, in an interview, denied knowing anything about the torture of the four. He said the police investigate cases which the community brings to them.

"I have stopped investigating because these people have come to you. The police are just doing their work of serving the public. There is nothing wrong they have done in this case," he said.

When asked about Bweengo’s broken leg, the constable said he is not aware of the incident. "I am not in a position to answer that question because I am not the one who tortured him. I would be glad if the suspect tells you the name of the police officer who tortured him," he said.

THE police service is now friendlier and has so far managed to work well with the community in combating crime, Police Service spokesperson Lemmy Kajoba has said.

Kajoba said the police had reviewed its five years (1995-2000) development plan for the police reforms and realised they were on course.

He said the units formed under the police reform programme are the establishment of the Victim Support Unit (VSU), the training of police officers in scientific ways of detecting crime and the establishment of a laboratory.

Kajoba told The LRF News the flooding of prisons was a sign the police are doing their job of tracking down criminals.

He said the community has helped the police so much by giving vital information which has helped in solving some of the major criminal cases. He added the community also helped in the establishment of a number of community police posts.

Kajoba said members of the public provided shelter and other logistics that enabled the police to establish posts.

"Although we have done quite well in some areas, it is not the same in others. Even if we have increased the number of police officers doing ordinary duties, we do not have enough equipment to use in our work. We have a lot of financial difficulties which have hampered progress in our strategic plan," he said.

The other thing the police were not able to do is to create a Police Air wing, he said.

He said government is talking positively and plans have reached a high level with technical people coming from Europe to carry out feasibility studies for the air crafts that the police are about to acquire. He said by the end of this year, the police would have established this unit.

He has commended government for its support to the police from the inception of the reform programme. He said government has provided the much-needed transport to the police service by giving them cars.