Maravi

Disclose whereabouts of detained PF cadres, Sata challenges police

Disclose whereabouts of detained PF cadres, Sata challenges police
Written by Mwala Kalaluka
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 7:43:05 AM

PF leader Michael Sata has challenged the police to disclose where it has detained two of his cadres that were arrested for assaulting their party colleagues. And the two PF cadres are expected to appear before the Lusaka magistrates’ court on June 19 on a charge of assaulting Sam Zulu and Mubanga Chileshe at Lusaka's Court Yard Hotel over a week ago.

In an interview, Sata said he was disappointed that police had opted to tell lies on the whereabouts of incarcerated PF cadres, Moses Makasa and Judge Ngoma.

"I am very disappointed because the way they are treating these two people is like as if they are coup plotters or people who committed treason," Sata said. "I do not see the point of the police lying to say they have taken them to Kamwala Remand Prison when they are not there. We were told at the court that they would be at Kamwala Remand Prison."

Sata said he left the court for Kamwala Remand Prison in order to locate the two cadres.

"We got to Kamwala Remand Prison and the officer-in-charge was very polite. He was at pains to say he did not have those two suspects," Sata said. "Have they killed them? The question is, where are my suspects?"

He complained that police had been giving one excuse after another whenever attempts were made to obtain bond for the two suspects.

Sata said the two were only facing a case of assault.

"Why can't they just say they want cash bail so that we pay the money?" he asked. "All they are trying to do is to just keep these two people in prison and that is why when we go there they always give us excuses."

Sata also asked the police to explain what they had done to the MMD cadres that had harassed local government deputy minister Chrispin Musosha at the Lusaka International Airport and some journalists from The Post.

"So the biggest enemy is PF. We seem to be in high danger. We do not know where we are going," Sata said.

And Makasa and Ngoma are expected to appear before magistrate David Simusamba this Friday.

Sata also said Zulu and Chileshe could not claim to be PF founder members, as they do not appear on any list of founder members.

He said the party's annual returns to the Registrar of Societies could attest to this position.

"Genuine pressure groups, are registered by the Registrar of Societies," Sata said. "This man [Zulu] is not a pressure group. He is sponsored by the state through the OP to destabilise the organisation."

During their press briefing at Court Yard Hotel, Zulu and Chileshe charged that the PF had waged a war of terror not only among junior members of the party but its parliamentarians who obeyed the law and attended the National Constitutional Conference (NCC).

"These people have been subjected to verbal abuse almost on daily basis while others among them Mrs [Faustina] Sinyangwe had opaque beer poured on her," stated the duo.

"We can only conclude that some people never change and we are making an urgent plea to government to protect senior members of the PF who oppose Mr Sata's dictatorial tendencies before disaster falls on them."

Labels: CADRES, MUBANGA CHILESHE, PF, SAMSON ZULU, SATA

posted by MrK @ 6:43 AM