PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu’s former Special Assistant for press and public relations Amos Chanda has reported to Woodlands Police Station in Lusaka, allegations that he is involved in the alleged abduction of the Hatembo family.
Mr. Chanda, who is being represented by Makebi Zulu and Associates said given the gravity of the offence of abduction being a serious felony, and given that the last 48 hours have had a hell of agony for him and family, he was reassuring friends that he had no involvement whatsoever in the alleged mischief, the reason he had decided to make this public statement that he had since reported the matter to the police for necessary action.
“I fully understand that the political silly season is upon us, and others have casually suggested that I should let this matter slide, but I want to emphasize that the far-reaching extent of the consequences of these publications needs to be dealt with decisively to forestall a recurrence of the same,” Mr. Chanda said.
He said he became aware of very damaging communications on various digital media platforms purporting his nefarious involvement in some underworld operation supposedly with FDD president Ms. Edith Nawakwi, suggesting that he was directing her actions to abduct, and or “terminate” the lives of her “abductees”.
Mr. Chanda said it was often his default position to ignore such online mischief for what it was, but he was aware from public media reports that a highly publicized case of abduction was before the courts of law and that in various media outlets, Ms. Nawakwi had been quoted as having extended details about this case.
He said he neither had any knowledge nor interest in this case, nor had he ever spoke to her on this or indeed any other matter to warrant my introduction into this matter.
“For the record, I last saw Ms. Nawakwi on 29, March 2016 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross during an inter-party political meeting for Presidential candidates. I have reason to believe that the purported digital transcripts may not be from Ms. Nawakwi given the many doggy features around them, but I will leave that to the police and other relevant law enforcement organs before whom I have laid my complaint,” Mr. Chanda said.
He also said he fully understand that the political silly season was upon the nation, and others had casually suggested that he should let this matter slide, but he wanted to emphasize that the far-reaching extent of the consequences of these publications needed to be dealt with decisively to forestall a recurrence of the same.
Mr. Chanda expressed confidence that the Police would apprehend the culprits.
“I am confident that police will apprehend the culprits because they were dumb enough to leave their digital footprint and criminal enough to blatantly assail the reputations of innocent people in the manner they have done. Further, with the enabled capability law enforcement agencies have following the enactment of the new cybercrimes law, it should be fairly easy to bring to an end the widespread decadent behavior by some low lives who appeal to base instincts of the digital followers to besmirch the reputations of others,” said Mr. Chanda.