Maravi

Police tear-gas Sata

Police tear-gas Sata
By Patson Chilemba
Fri 26 Nov. 2010, 04:02 CAT

POLICE in Lusaka yesterday tear-gased Michael Sata, George Mpombo and PF cadres at the Drug Enforcement Commission’s (DEC) headquarters. The incident happened soon after Sata arrived at the DEC’s main gate around 9.40am. Sata, who is PF leader, was to be questioned in connection with his US $100,000 transaction at Finance Bank two years ago.

Sata was surrounded by party officials and cadres who had waited for his arrival. He proceeded to the DEC main entrance, but police took a long time to open the gate, incensing the cadres.

“The person you wanted is here. What are you waiting for?” one of them asked.

Amidst the confusion, one of Sata’s guards, Judge Ngoma, managed to find his way inside to secure his boss’s passage but was whipped by police officers.

The action angered PF cadres even more. They pushed to break through the police blockade. Police responded by firing teargas canisters. The first canister dropped just a few metres from where Sata stood.

Sensing danger, his security men whisked him towards his lawyer Bonaventure Mutale’s vehicle.

The police acted swiftly to remove the canister although the gas had already spread. As a result, Sata was choked.

Notable among those who were tear-gassed were Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament George Mpombo.

Sata and Mpombo were later driven in the same vehicle to a safer place. They returned to the DEC offices after the situation normalised. In a brief interview, Sata said police had planned the move in a bid to cause harm to him.

“That is Rupiah Banda, he believes in criminal activities. Why throwing teargas when people are not riotous? That is what you expect from Kabonde because Mr Kabonde has passed retirement age and he has just become a cadre,” said Sata. Mpombo des-cribed the action by police as political shenanigans.

“How can you teargas a leader of a big political party?” asked Mpombo.

Sata was later questioned for about 45 minutes. In an interview shortly after, Sata said the prosecutors wanted to find out if the US $100,000 was related to drug money. He said he was asked to reveal the source of his funding, but he refused.

DEC public relations manager John Nyawali said Sata had been questioned as part of the ongoing investigations into the US$100,000 and they recorded an ordinary statement from him. He said several employees from Finance Bank and Action Auto had been interviewed in connection with the transaction.

Recently, MMD cadre Edward Mumbi claimed that Sata financed Change Life Zambia executive director Fr Frank Bwalya with US $100,000 to campaign against the MMD government. Mumbi challenged Sata to disclose the source of the money.

Labels: EDWARD MUMBI, GEORGE MPOMBO, MICHAEL SATA

posted by MrK @ 4:48 PM