February 2007
Kaoma Man Hindered From Giving Statement
By Monica Kunda Tembo
A resident of Kaoma has complained that he ended up in police cells when a suspect whom he had taken to the police gave a 'false' statement against him.
Kebby Litwai told Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) that he ended up in police custody after a woman who was allegedly part of a group that attacked him accused him of trying to kill her.
Litwai explained that on December 8 last year while he was at Namilangi Bus Station on the Mongu-Lusaka road, he was attacked by a group of people near the shops where he had gone to look for candles.
He explained that while at the shops, a woman who was only identified as Mwangala, who he knew, called him from a nearby bottle store and requested to speak to him in confidence behind the bottle store.
He said while they were talking, some men came sprung up and surrounded him.
Litwai said the men started searching him and got K500,000 from his wallet, his drivers licence and the National Registration Card (NRC).
He said the following day he reported the matter to Kaoma Police Station where he was given call-out notices for Mwangala and Taimo Mbambe, who was also part of the group.
Litwai claimed that when Mwangala and Mbambe received the call-out notices, they allegedly ran away from the village.
Litwai said on January 25 this year, he found Mwangala in Mongu and told her to accompany him to Mongu Police Station.
While there, according to Litwai, a quarrel ensued and a plain clothed police officer enquired what the quarrel was all about.
He said the police officer asked them to give their sides of the story, but Litwai claimed that the officer only heard Mwangala's complaint where she allegedly accused him (Litwai) of trying to kill him.
He said after Mwangala's statement he was arrested and detained for two days without being allowed to give his side of the story.
Liwai asked LRF to advise him on how he could get justice from the group that allegedly attacked him.
In another case, police officers of Mongu Central Police Station have been accused of battering a man who had waved down their vehicle while they were on patrol.
According to Muchime Mwakoi, on February 9 this year around 23:00 hrs as he was at APG Rice Mill when he saw a vehicle coming and he flagged it down thinking that it was a taxi.
He claimed that when the vehicle stopped, a group of police officers came out and allegedly started beating him up.
Mwakoi said after being beaten, he was allegedly bundled into a vehicle which had other people who had been arrested by the patrolling officers.
Mwakoi said the officers took them to Mongu central Police station where they were charged for loitering and made to pay K20,000 each as admission of guilty fine.
The following day after they were released Mwakoi obtained a medical report form because he had a swollen right knee, pain in the hips and chest.