RELEASE INNOCENT PHIRI AND OBVIOUS KAKUNDA NOW
By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
ON Sunday 13th November 2022, Police arrested a news-crew and detained the members at Le Sole Police Station in Roma township.
Muvi tv journalist Innocent Phiri and the station camera man, Obvious Kakunda have been detained facing absurd charges of allegedly obstructing justice.
These charges are clearly trumped-up and the action to obstruct, stop and arrest a news-crew doing its job, is utter lawlessness by the Police.
Infact the Policemen that went to arrest Chilufya Tayali without a warrant or notice are the ones to face arrest.
They also proceeded to obstruct and prevent journalists doing their professional job!
This is however, not surprising.
The Inspector General of Police, Lemmy Kajoba, has been at the fore-front of promoting lawlessness and has turned the institution into a tool to please politicians.
We have seen UPND officials complain against individuals allegedly to have committed criminal defamation of the President, reported in Lukulu, Kasempa and Solwezi.
At the beck and call of the UPND, the Police have illegally taken these individuals deemed enemies of President Hichilema to those areas for prosecution.
We saw recently in the last District Council Chairperson and Ward by-elections where the Police stood watching and helpless as UPND thugs brutalized Patriotic Front members.
In the case of Chilufya Tayali, he is being pursued on allegations that he issued a video statement that has implicated President Hakainde Hichilema and Chief Mukuni in the burning of markets and gassing incidents that occurred between 2017 -2020.
From these facts, and at best, Tayali is a critical witness to these heinous crimes that caused public distress, that saw over 50 persons killed by mob-justice and destroyed public property. But Tayali has been treated as a criminal suspect.
So how does the Police justify the heavy-handed nature in which they have handled his arrest last evening?
The IG has allowed the Police to be used as an oppressive tool of the UPND and he has rendered himself as a useful implement or piece of equipment at the hands of President Hakainde Hichilema.
Release Innocent Phiri and his cameraman, Obvious Kakunda.
Zambians should never allow a dictatorship to be fostered and thrive.
EM8
Pragamatic,
Visionary,
Experienced,
Transformational
God-fearing.