By Agness Changala
Inspector General of Police Graphael Musamba says he is not aware of the arrest of a Kabwe who was charged for conduct likely to cause the breach of peace for reminding Central Province permanent secretary Milner Mwanakampwe of the UPND promises during a radio programme.
Last week, police in Kabwe arrested and charged Kaume after UPND cadres complained to the police about him, following [pp-logged-users] a verbal confrontation with Mwanakampwe.
When he phoned the radio station to participate in the programme, Kaume reminded the permanent secretary about the UPND promises, something Mwanakampwe did not take kindly to.
In response to what Kaume said, the permanent secretary said the UPND was busy cleaning the poop that he and PF left behind by the PF.
Following the sharp disagreements, UPND cadres went to police to complain against Kaume upon which he was summoned and arrested with a charge of conduct likely to cause the breach of peace.
Central Province commissioner Roy Kashimba confirmed the arrest of Kaume in an interview with Daily Revelation.
He said Kaume was summoned to the police for interviews and they expected him to cooperate but he started misbehaving and did not cooperate.
“So he was charged for conduct likely to cause the breach of peace. That’s all,” said Kashimba.
But speaking to Daily Revelation following his arrest, Kaume said the decision taken by police in Kabwe to arrest and charge him for the offence of conduct likely to cause the breach of peace is aimed at curtailing the freedom of speech and expression by the general citizenry.
He explained that just after the radio programme, some UPND cadres went to his shop at Green Market where they demanded to see him, but at the time they went there, he had already received information that some UPND cadres were looking for him on an allegation that he had insulted not only the permanent secretary, but also the Head of State.
Kaume explained that at the time he was being pursued by the UPND cadres and the police, he had already reported the matter to Kasanda Police Station where the permanent secretary issued strong language against him while on a phone in radio programme.
He said while at Kasanda Police Station, he was ushered into some office where he was only told that the UPND cadres had reported a case where he was alleged to have insulted Central Province permanent secretary and that a formal statement had already been taken from the UPND party members.
“The unfortunate thing is that the police have only taken a formal statement from the UPND cadres. But they have charged me with an offence of conduct likely to cause the breach of peace. And yet they have not recorded any formal statement from me. For now, I can say that they have arrested me, not detained, but charged for the offence of conduct likely to cause the breach of peace,” said Kaume.
When contacted by Daily Revelation to get his views on the arrest of an innocent citizen for merely challenging Mwanakampwe on a radio programme, Musamba said since he did not know about this incident, and did not know what necessitated the police action to lock up Kaume.
“I am not privy to that information but all I can is from your explanation, it sounds innocent but the other side of the coin seems to suggest something else that maybe you haven’t explained to me. Like I said, I wouldn’t know what else in the background necessitated that action by the police to lock him up,” Musamba said.
He explained that conduct likely to cause the breach of peace is a red liner when one conducts themselves in a manner that is bound to bring trouble or even policing problems for police.
“That’s when the police will now say you behaved in a manner that is likely to breach peace or bring about disorder. Then they would hold you and lock you up because you are not fit to exist with people at that given time you are not fit to peacefully associate with others,” said Musamba.
