By Patson Chilemba
Police has warned former President Hakainde Hichilema’s campaigner, Rachel Chileshe, not to complain when she is cited for contempt of court for asserting that as opposed to Edith Nawakwi, it was the President and his officials who were behind the abduction of the Hatembos.
Chileshe recently told Daily Revelation after making those assertions that she was ready to testify before police that she, along with
Information minister Cornelius Mweetwa, Solicitor General Marshal Muchende and Local Government Commission chairperson Ackson Sejani among other UPND officials, were sent by President Hakainde Hichilema to parade the Hatembos.
But police spokesperson Ray Hamoonga said Chileshe must go and testify before the courts rather than commenting on matters that were before court.
“I think as police we took note of what she said and in any case that matter is already before the courts. So as police we will not start commenting on a matter that is before the courts of law. So we have already pushed in our case and we have built our case, and we are ready for that case to proceed as it is in court,” Hamoonga said.
Hamoonga was asked on the aspect that despite the matter being before the courts of law, Rachel argued that it was unfair that the person who has been taken to court is not the one who was involved, having mentioned the names of the people she knew were involved.
However, Hamoonga insisted that police were officers of the law and could not start discussing a matter that was before the courts as that was contempt of court.
“And we are not going to be dragged into that issue, start discussing a matter that is before the courts of law ourselves. So if she wants to be cited for contempt let her continue ranting (about) what she is saying, because this matter is before the courts of law. And we can’t continue commenting on a matter which is before the courts of law. Yes!” Hamoonga said. “So we can’t comment on a matter which is before the courts of law. If she wants to continue commenting let her continue commenting, and when she is cited for contempt she should not complain. Because it is public knowledge that when a matter is before the courts of law, you don’t comment on it.”
Hamoonga continued: “The best she can do if she wants to be a witness, go and become a witness in that matter and testify before the courts of law. But if you start commenting on a matter that is before the courts of law you are attracting contempt of court. So we as police are not going to comment on a matter that is before the courts of law.”
But Nawakwi who was arrested and charged for abducting the Hatembos, said she is not aware of any court she is appearing before over the same matter.
She challenged the police to provide the court details of where she was appearing following her arrest over a month ago.
Following Nawakwi’s arrest, Chileshe came out in her defence saying President Hichilema was behind the scandal then as an opposition leader, together with some current serving government officials.
She said her husband who was President Hichilema’s lawyer even advised him at one point to let the Hatembos go, but that the President disagreed arguing that he would not be on the ballot paper if the PF got a hold of the Hatembos.
Chileshe said Nawakwi was pursuing a matter at that time regarding some matter related to the former LIMA Bank, in which she wanted to implicate the President.
