POLICE ARREST OF FORMER PETAUKE DC OVER AIDING THE ISSUANCE OF NRCs TO MINORS IS COMMENDABLE: INVESTIGATIONS MUST EXTEND TO THE FORMER MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND OFFICERS IN DNRPC.
The disclosure by the Police that it has arrested former Petauke DC for aiding issuance of NRCs to minors must be a wake up call on the new dawn government to the extent how compromised our security documents are just because of the elections.
According to Police statement issued today, the police have charged and arrested former Petauke District Commissioner Ms Velenasi Banda Moyo aged 44 of plot number one Mayadi area Petauke for one count of Abuse of Authority of office Contrary to Section 99 and jointly charged for Intent to Deceive Contrary to Section 344A(a) of CAP 87 with M/Goodson Ngandu Lungu aged 50 of Nyansimbo Village Chief Mwanjabantu Petauke a Patrotic Front Chairman for Kaumbwe Constiituency.
It is alleged that the duo, on a date unknown between 1st August and 30th September 2020, jointly and whilst acting together with others unknown, did aid more than One thousand under aged children ranging between five and 15 years to obtain National Registration Cards.
The children subsequently obtained Voters cards.The accused persons are currently in custody, concludes the police
When Mubita Nawa and Anthony Bwalya exposed this scheme in 2020, they were rushly arrested to silence them.
Now, it is the expectation of the nation that Mubita and Anthony will help the police bring the culprits to book.
With thorough investigations, it may be discovered that even foreigners were issued with NRCs so that they might vote in the 2021 elections, an act that potentially compromised national ‘security and electoral integrity.
No wonder Mr Steven Kampyongo, then minister of Home Affairs denial stakeholders from monitoring the issuance of NRCs process.
For this move by the police to investigate and arrest some suspects over this issue, police must be commended and must be encouraged to extend the investigations to former and present leaders in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Department of National Registration and passport Cards.
We must clean criminality that was entrenched in our state institutions by the previous regime and those who have information must help the police to track down this evil.
I submit
McDonald Chipenzi