By Mubanga Mubanga
Former Home Affairs minister Stephen Kampyongo says the arrest of Mazabuka-Central aspirant Garry Nkombo, is a “legal circus”, because the Zambia Police seems to be getting “unlawful” instructions from somewhere.
In an interview with Daily Revelation yesterday regarding the arrest of Nkombo, Kampyongo said what happened on Monday was not normal. He said the decision which was taken by the police to arrest Nkombo many days after the incident, pointed to the lowest levels of “unprofessionalism” by police.
“Just as you have put it Mubanga, you are calling because you know what transpired yesterday was not normal. In a country you say is the country of rule of law, it is quite suddening. I wouldn’t want to describe what happened as a legal circus, but it is what it is. It is basically just a legal circus. Because even an ordinary citizen is able to see that the police are either getting unlawful instruction from somewhere to engage in lawlessness,” Kapyongo said. “If in the first place police were professional, they could have dealt with that violence, intimidation in real time, when it just happened. That is when they could have effected arrests. To start effecting arrests some many days after the incident points to the lowest levels of unprofessionalism.”
Kampyongo said the police were not even “ashamed” for arresting Nkombo, when they had failed to arrest the perpetrators of violence at the nomination center when Nkombo went to file his nomination.
“Garry Nkombo is the victim of violence you understand? Garry Nkombo is a victim of violence perpetrated by well known characters. He was going to fill in, just like any other person wanting to participate in the general elections. So, if a person going to fill in, in a democratic state, can be attacked like that in a barbaric manner, in full view of the police, the failure to effect any arrest on anyone, they are kind of overrun, and l am just imagining if Garry Nkombo wasn’t physically sound, because by and large he had to defend himself with his wife,” Kampyongo said. “Now, you are not even ashamed to even summon him. You have failed to arrest the perpetrators of violence. And someone had to call you for that case to be some kind of affray.”
However, Kampyongo said he sympathised with the Inspector General of police Graphael Musamba because it appeared like the police were getting commands from outside his office.
“If you go by his record, l don’t think he could tolerate what his men and women in uniform are doing. It would appear that the police are split into two. There is someone who is giving command from some corner, which is creating this organised confusion,” Kampyongo said.
Nkombo said the conduct of the police also showed that they did not respect the words of President Hakainde Hichilema who was the Commander-In-Chief.
“That comment coming from the Commander-In-Chief was not sincere and genuine. Because, if it was genuine how else would the police conduct themselves unprofessionally like they are doing? Really does the President think Garry Nkombo was the perpetrator of violence in that matter,” asked Kampyongo. “Does he really think he was the perpetrator of violence? And this is how they are exposing him. And when you are the Commander-In-Chief and it is difficult for your word to be respected, it is very unfortunate.”
