Maravi

L/stone police brutalise NGO boss

L/stone police brutalise NGO boss
By Edwin Mbulo
Wed 13 July 2011, 12:00 CAT

A Livingstone man is nursing fractured legs sustained following alleged police brutality on suspicion that he had obtained K22 million by false pretences. Joseph Moyo, who is the director of the Lifestyle Health Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, said in an interview that some Livingstone police officers brutally beat him up after arresting him last month.

Moyo said police officers went to his house on Mosi-oa-Tunya Road on June 17 and requested that he accompanies them to the Central Police Station to answer a few questions.

“Two officers came to my home and I recognised officer Mazyopa. They requested that I accompany them to the station to answer some few questions, but since I had flu I requested that they postpone engagement to Monday but they insisted, so I complied and walked to the vehicle,” Moyo said.

He said upon arrival at the police station, the officers said they were going to detain him for obtaining money by false pretences.

“They said I had obtained K22 million from Mr Vagera by false pretences and I told them to call Mr Vagera as I agreed that we had dealings which were cancelled but they did not comply and detained me,” he said.

Moyo narrated that the following night, three officers in the company of Mazyopa took him to another room which was being used for feeding suspects.

“They made me sit on a table and started to beat me saying I had caused them sleepless nights as they were being told by senior officers they were not being effective. They dragged me up some stairs and when I fell, they started to beat me using a pipe until I lost consciousness,” Moyo narrated.

He said when he woke up, he found himself near the road outside the police station and failed to get up as he experienced pain in his legs.

“I started to drag myself towards the enquiries desk but when I got by the stairs, I could not proceed until some officer came to my aid and took me to the hospital,” he said.

Moyo said he was later told that his legs were fractured and after reporting to police and obtaining a medical report, nothing has been done to date.

“…The police say a police officer who I have not even seen is handling the case,” said Moyo.

Southern Province police commanding officer Lemmy Kajoba could not comment on the matter as his mobile phone went unanswered while police spokesperson Ndandula Siamana said she needed to get details from Kajoba.

Labels: LIVINGSTONE, NGOs, POLICE BRUTALITY, SOUTHERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 6:33 PM