By Staff Reporter
Police officers have complained of not being paid allowances due to them, and accused some of their bosses of demanding part payment from the duties they are allocated to undertake, with Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba saying he is not aware of the practice until he investigates
And Police Commanding Officer at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport Robson Moonga has responded to accusations against him, saying he is not sitting on the officers allowances and neither does he get commissions from the tasks he gives them, but that he would let the Police service public relations respond to the matters.
Daily Revelation has been informed that the new IG Musamba recently issued a circular directing the police supervisors to stop demanding “commissions” from their officers over the various tasks they assign to them.
But some officers have told Daily Revelation that the practice has continued.
“For instance we have tried to engage Sipalo as an influential person to help us have this matter resolved but we decided that we get in touch with you now. For instance, the people who worked at the Show Grounds during the Agricultural show events were to be paid K100 for each day they worked. But some who worked for more than three or even four days only received K100 each. We have information that the list that was submitted like from the Airport was 30 officers but only around 15 were engaged in the duties during that whole duration for a number of days,” police sources told Daily Revelation. “Usually it has been a practice that when officers are assigned their superiors get even 20 – 30 percent from whatever the officer will make. But when the new IG came, he stopped that and a circular was even sent to all the commands, alas the practice has continued. In some instances you find that for instance if an officer has made K200, the boss may even end up getting K150.”
Daily Revelation called Moonga for his reaction over the allegations. Responding, Moonga said police had a fully fledged public relations office led by Rae Hamoonga and said that would be the right office to respond to the assertions, but added that the Show Grounds duties did not only involve officers from Airport but other units also.
“So I think considering that I think the right people is police headquarters because Airports participated and other divisions participated,” Moonga said.
Moonga was also asked on complaints that whenever assignments are given there were still demands that a certain percentage is reserved for the boss.
“I think I don’t want to talk about myself. You can verify that with police public relations office, maybe they can confirm that to you … They can speak on behalf of the police. They are the right office to (speak)” Moonga said. “There is no such a thing. I think the police command have been very categorical on that issue. So if at all it was happening anywhere there is no such an issue happening. If there is a person who has that what, I think is free to go to the office of the Inspector General of Police and make that complaint. But I cannot talk about myself. I think you better verify those issues with police headquarters. The Show Grounds as I have said there were other units that were involved. So I think headquarters will respond better. For SCOAN, talk to the SCOAN, they will tell you if they paid any money in advance. It will help.”
He insisted that the position from the police command was categorical and that there were no such issues happening.
And IG Musamba when contacted over the complaints and that his circular directing that payments from the juniors to their superiors be stopped, the practice has still continued, with some officers allegedly receiving only K100s from what was due to them, Musamba said: “I am not aware. If that was true, why didn’t that person come to me? So I am in a meeting right now, until I investigate and find out what is going on.”
