By Merlyn Mwanza
Former First Lady Esther Lungu has finally appeared for questioning before the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) over the 15 flats suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The former first lady’s appearance, however, did not pass without incidence after the motorcade carrying her and her husband, former president Edgar Lungu was held on for a while before entering DEC premises.
The motorcade was held in part because of the insistence by the police to ensure that the huge crowds which followed the Lungus was held at arms length and also to ensure that Chilufya Tayali did not enter DEC premises by the police.
After some period of the motorcade failing to make progress, Lusaka lawyer Tutwa Ngulube confronted the police.
“Are you trying to stop us from doing our work? Excuse me, who is in charge of this nonsense?” Ngulube asked the police officers. “Who is giving instructions? We want to know. We have a summons, we have been invited.”
But one of the officers was heard telling Ngulube that Chilufya Tayali should not be allowed in.
But Ngulube asked the officers to provide a letter where it stated that Tayali should not be there.
“Are you telling me you can invite people and stop them from entering? Ngulube asked, with one of the officers responding, “Is Tayali invited?”
But Ngulube asked them if they had seen Tayali anywhere, with the officers insisting that if he was there he should not be allowed in as he had not been invited, and hence their insistence to screen people who were going in.
“This is not DEC, can we go to DEC you screen us from there,” Ngulube said along the road just a few meters from the DEC headquarters, and threatened that they would go back, arguing that they brought the first lady but police were proving difficult.
“Why should one Tayali disturb the whole procession?” Ngulube asked, and insisted to know who was in charge of the police there, with one officer named Mateo said he was.
“Are you aware that we are supposed to be inside by 10:30,” Ngulube asked, with the officer answering in the affirmative. “ But if you are aware that we were supposed to be inside by 10:30 hours, why are you blocking the whole…you blocked the first lady , you blocked the lawyers, you blocked everyone.”
But the officer said it wasn’t him delaying. But Ngulube said the former president did not move alone.
Following the back and forth involving Ngulube and the police, Zambia’s former Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba chipped in saying the officers have seen the former President was held up in the motorcade and indicating that if that matter were resolved it would be easy to sort out the issue of Tayali.
One of the officers agreed with Mwamba saying he sounded more reasonable, but Ngulube continued from shouting from behind Mwamba that he knew the officer in question and that he was not going to be intimidated.
Mwamba’s engagement seemed to pacify the situation with the police immediately opening the way for the Range Rover carrying the former president to drive towards the main DEC gate, where again it was held up after PF officials and cadres attempted to escort the vehicle into the premises.
At the gate, Ngulube insisted that “for security reasons we are not going to allow the president and the first lady to disembark from here, threatening that in the absence of that they would go back in order to make fresh arrangements.
Former PF secretary general Davies Mwila was heard telling the police officersthat “this is what you wanted, you wanted people to come her.”
“This is what you wanted. Isulakofye. Mwalefwaya abantu ukwisa kuno (Just open the gate. You wanted people to come here),” Mwila said angrily.
Former Home Affairs minister Stephen Kampyongo said apart from the lawyers, there were other “honourable members” who had come with sureties and that they should be allowed, suggesting that Lungu’s motorcade would be allowed to enter followed by the other two vehicles carrying those with sureties and other lawyers.
The plain clothed police officer was then heard warning journalists to move behind saying the police did not want to be forced into using force against them.
Credit picture: Smart Eagles
