“Amos Chanda rejects IG role”
AMOS Chanda has rejected the crown of
Insultant General (lG) being given to him by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) telling the Lusaka Magistrates Court that he is neither guilty of insulting officers from the anti-graft body or obstructing them from performing their duties.
The Chandas have gained instant social media notoriety with some calling them the Zambian Bon & Clyde of insults based on events of 27 October, 2021.
On the said date, officers of Zambias top corruption watchdog strayed into the couple’s home with a search warrant sniffing for evidence of corruption but the ACC officers claim that Chanda’s wife Mable with backing vocals from sister in law Ruth, did not like the officers’ nosey behaviour and reportedly ordained them with insults.
The trio have been charged with insulting language and obstructing ACC officers from performing their duties – charges they all denied yesterday.
The couple is said to have lectured the officers in a human biology naming the officers’ body parts, especially reproductive organs, in the local icibemba language.
Meanwhile, one victim recounted the ordeal prior to adjournment of the case.
William Chilufya an investigations officer at ACC told the court that himself and other officers led by senior investigations officer Friday Tembo were tasked to search Chanda’s properties in different residential areas of Lusaka.
He said himself and other officers obtained a search warrant from the Magistrate’s Court and it was signed by a magistrate.
Chilufya said himself and others went to Njolwe farm belonging to Chanda and when they reached at the said Farm Chanda was not at the premises and only his farm manager was present at the farm.
He said the team served the search warrant on the farm manager and the officers explained the purpose for their visit to which the farm manager signed the search warrant.
“The farm manager requested that he contacts Mr Chanda and the request was granted by our supervisor. The farm manager put the phone on loud speaker and Mr Chanda requested to speak to one of the officers and as he spoke to Mr Tembo I heard him questioning the legality of the search and Mr Chanda told Tembo not to be stupid,” Chilufya claimed
“He was challenging that the search was illegal and after Mr Tembo explained to him about the legality of the search and many words were uttered. The phone conversation ended and the search was conducted smoothly in the presence of Mr Chanda’s farm manager who was not against the operation apart from him asking for a phone number for any of the officers and I was instructed to give him my phone number.”
Chilufya said the officers went to Chanda’s property in state lodge area and on their way to the said property he called him and owing the bickering which they encountered earlier he decided to record the phone conversation.
The investigation officer said Chanda inquired about the search but he refused to disclose why the ACC was searching his properties to avoid jeopardizing investigations and he hanged up on him.
The said conversation was played in court but Chanda did not use vulgar language as he questioned the officer if the Commission would ask him to follow the said officers to his other properties which are located in other towns across the country.
He said when the team proceeded to Chanda’s home in Woodlands area the latter in the presence of his lawyer a Mr Mulongoti suggested that he conducts a body search on the ACC officers before they could enter his house.
“He said we are criminals, foolish, rubbish and that the said inquiry was a mere witch hunt. I felt so offended and so were my colleagues and we encouraged each other not to take action against him to avoid being swayed against the entire goal for the search,”said Chilufya.
“Whilst the search was ongoing we were divided in different groups and a lady (Ruth) came with a man to challenge the legality of the search and forced herself in the premises, we told her that she could not enter and she uttered the words idiots to myself and Swithern Lusaka she uttered the word “Ba**”(penises) and forced her way in. I wanted to confine her but there was restraint by my colleagues.”
Chilufya said he attempted to search the bedrooms but the accused told him that the keys to the bedrooms were with somebody else on the Copperbelt to which himself and others were forced to break the doors.
He said Ruth tried to stop one of the officers from searching one of the bags which contained a first aid kit belonging to her father.
“Mable hurled insults saying “Bakolwe ( you monkeys) you grade twelves, you are poorly paid and if it’s employment you want I can employ you.”
In cross examination Chilufya confirmed that himself and other officers followed procedure in the ACC Act before searching Chanda’s property.
He said it was an insult for Mable to say that she could employ him.
Asked if he was poorly paid Chilufya denied and clarified that his salary was above K10,000.
Kalemba November 4, 2021