RIGHTS ACTIVIST DEMANDS COURT FOR OPPOSITION LEADER XAVIER CHUNGU
A human rights campaigner has accused the government of breaking the law by holding a former intelligence chief in custody for too long without taking him to court.
Brebnar Changala has questioned why Xavier Chungu – a candidate in the August 13 presidential election – remains behind bars more than two days after his arrest.
Xavier Chungu was taken into police custody on May 28th, and is being held in a police cell. Police have said they are investigating him over an alleged breach of the State Security Act, a law that carries a possible prison sentence without bail.
Mr Chungu is a former head of Zambia’s intelligence service and is now the presidential candidate for the opposition Liberal Democrats Party, which will be contesting the elections scheduled for August. But while he is a political candidate, right now he is a man who cannot see a judge.
The law in Zambia is very clear. The police are generally expected to bring a suspect before a court within 48 hours of an arrest. That timeline has now been exceeded.
Civil rights activist Brebnar Changala has spoken out strongly against the delay. Mr Changala asked why Mr Chungu has still not been presented before a court. He said police cells should not be turned into prisons.
Mr Changala also made a very direct accusation against the government. He said the current abuse of authority by the UPND, the ruling party, is exactly the same kind of behaviour that they themselves condemned when they were in opposition.
He explained that the purpose of a police holding cell is only as a short stop before a suspect is charged and taken to court. It is not a place for long-term detention, he said.
Police have confirmed that investigations into Mr Chungu’s case are continuing. They have said they will provide updates as their work progresses.
But Mr Changala’s point is a simple one: if the state has evidence, it should go to court. And if it does not, the suspect should be released.
There has been no immediate comment from the government or from the police on the activist’s criticism.