MAKEBI ZULU WRITES KAJOBA OVER TORTURE, ILLEGAL DETENTION OF LUNGU’S BARBERMAN SHEBBY CHILEKWA, OTHERS
LAWYERS representing former President Edgar Lungu’s barber man Shebby Chilekwa, Aide De Camp Chisanga Chanda and others have written to the Inspector General of Police Lemmy Kajoba over the continued unlawful detention and torture of their clients.
According to a letter dated February, 8, 2022 copied to the Public Protector, the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and the Police Public Complaints Commission (PPCC), Makebi Zulu Advocates have asked the Inspector General of Police Kajoba to accord the tortured suspects medical attention and allow lawyers access to obtain instructions and represent their clients well.
The letter states that in the night of 4th February, 2022, officers from Crime 1 Unit based at Force Headquarters went to Chanda who is also Deputy Commissioner of Police and carried out a search.
The letter further, states that while, the search was ongoing, Chanda was summoned to their office where he was ordered to see a Mr. Mwaanza, the Director CID (Criminal Investigation Department) who handed him over to a Mr. Nawa who later took him in custody to a property in Kalundu along Lunsemfwa Road.
According to the lawyers, this place is not gazetted as a lawful detention Centre where Chanda was being interrogated by Police officers together with Elvis Mainza who they were advised is a known UPND cadre.
According to a letter, the lawyers were further informed that, while police officers where still at Chanda’s House, they apprehended his wife together with her friend who had visited identified as Prisca Lungu.
Others who were apprehended were Fidelis Chulu, Martin Imwisho, a garden boy, Jonathan Mushanga a driver, Terry Simwiinde and Chilekwa who were also taken to the same house in Kalundu.
According to the letter, the lawyers went to the police and were attended by the Officer In-charge Crime 1 Unit a Mr. Timba who could not give them access to their clients on grounds that the matter was being dealt with administratively.
Timba however, informed the lawyers that he would let them know when they will be needed but refused to disclose the whereabouts of Chanda, Chilekwa and others.
According to the detailed letter to the IG, it was only on Monday, the 7th February, 2022, when a Mr. Timba contacted lawyers to the suspects and asked them to go to Woodlands Police Station.
The letter also indicates that it was during the same Monday morning when Chanda was taken from a Kalundu House where he was being kept to Woodlands Police Station and detained in Police cells to wait for his lawyers to arrive.
“Upon our arrival, your Mr. Timba advised that he was proceeding to effect an arrest as he had already administered a warn and caution statement and obtained a statement from our client. Asked as to why he had proceeded with a warn and caution in the absence of counsel despite trhe undertaking that we were informed, no satisfactory response was given to us. Do note that the said warn and caution was administered at the Kalundu House referred to as above,” read the letter in part.
The letter further indicates that Chilekwa was tortured from time to time and is currently badly injured and still under police custody nursing injuries, unable to speak coherently and has his hearing impaired.
The letter has also revealed that attempts by lawyers and Human Rights Commission representatives proved futile as the police refused and denied to give them have access to suspects.
Chilekwa remains in custody without charge, injured and without access to either relatives or lawyers.
The letter further states that Police at Woodlands have refused to attend to one of the suspects Chulu who was brutally tortured and has a duly signed medical report from Chilenje Level One Hospital confirming the injuries sustained at the hands of Chief Inspector Chomba and Elvis Mainza a UPND cadre at the Kalundu House.
And Police sources close to the investigation have revealed that a duly signed medical report has been made available to the Inspector General of Police implicating officers for torture of the affected suspects.
(Credit: The New Dawn Newspaper)