THE Patriotic Front (PF) has lamented in the Lusaka High Court how the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers have continued interrogating its members over its source of campaign funds and motor vehicles used in last year’s General Elections.
And PF former secretary general Davies Mwila has submitted that former president Edgar Lungu’s aide de camp, Chisanga Chanda, was arrested on February 4, 2022 and interrogated on among other things, the source of campaign vehicles which were used during the 2021 General Elections.
This is in a case in which PF through Mwila in his capacity then as SG, sued the Attorney General over the continued harrassment of party members.
The PF is seeking a protection order from what he terms ‘harrassment of PF members over its source of funding for last year’s campaigns.
Mwila was also claiming damages for intimidation and harassment.
He further sought an order that the State awards the PF party damages for misrepresentation, defamation of character and discrimination.
Mwila also seeks a declaratory order that he should not be compelled to disclose the PF’s source of funding and that the court should declare that the funding of the 2021 General Elections was not from money laundering activities.
But DEC in a defence filed in court urged the court to dismiss the case, saying the motion was a mere attempt to curtail the ongoing criminal investigations, which investigations involve some PF party members.
Mwila however, stated in a reply filed in court that he was personally summoned and interrogated by DEC.
He stated that Antonio Mwanza was also summoned and interrogated on the source of campaign funds and on how the media houses were paid for the services rendered to PF during the campaigns and statements were actually recorded by investigation officer Higton Chilela.
Mwila added that lawyer Anna Mwitwa was also interrogated on the payments made to media houses which had sold broadcasting time to PF during the 2021 campaigns.
“The plaintiff shall aver and prove at trial that the defendant has continued to investigate the source of campaign funds and has threatened the plaintiff’s associates who are interacting with the party. The plaintiff shall prove with written documents that the defendant has even gone a step further to summon media houses that were selling media time to the party during the 2021 campaigns,” stated Mwila.
(Mwebantu, Thursday, February 10th, 2022)