United party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema has said that the his Party continues to demand the immediate release from custody of their party Deputy Secretary-General Patrick Mucheleka and his colleagues from what he described as clearly unfair and unjust incarceration, undoubtedly based on political biases.
In a statement released to the media, Mr Hichilema said that each time there has been elections anywhere in the country, their senior party officials, supporters and members have been targeted for arrest with a view to intimidate and prevent them from carrying out their democratic right to freely exercise their freedom to sell their message to the electorates.
“The intolerance to dissenting opinions should not drive the PF into destroying our cherished heritage by abusing government machinery such as the police and other institutions. This is unacceptable and it must end, ” the statement concluded.
UPND Deputy Secretary-General Patrick Mucheleka and two others are charged with two counts of malicious damage and aggravated robbery.
According to the facts before the court, the trio is said to have caused the damage by use of force to three type-writers and a printer valued at K13.970 property of the Government of the Republic of Zambia.
The trio has since been transferred to Milima state correctional facility as one of the charges is non-bailable.