HH FEARS ARREST
CANCELS TRIP TO KASAMA, SAYS UPND OFFICIAL
HAKAINDE Hichilema has failed to travel to Kasama to support party deputy secretary general Patrick Mucheleka who was appearing in court for aggravated robbery for fear of being arrested.
Mucheleka and three others appeared for mention in their aggravated robbery case yesterday.
According to UPND national chairperson for industrial development, Bernard Mpundu, police have planned to arrest Mr Hichilema at any time.
Mr Mpundu said when he addressed UPND members outside the court, that Mr Hichilema could not travel to Kasama to give support because of the planned arrest.
He thanked party members for showing up to give solidarity in large numbers.
“Mr Hichilema could not travel to Kasama to give support, the police have planned to arrest him at any time,” he said.
And there was near commotion yesterday at the Kasama Magistrate’s Court when Mr Mucheleka and three others appeared for mention.
Mucheleka was brought to court with his co-accused persons in an open Nissan police van from Milima Correctional Facility where they were being held on charges of aggravated robbery and malicious damage.
Other accused persons were Elias Mubanga, who was campaign manager in the Lukashya parliamentary by-election, Samuel Ngwila and Chinyimba Bwalya.
Mr Mpundu and other supporters turned up in large numbers to give solidarity to the accused persons and almost caused commotion at the court premises.
Police officers had a tough time to keep the slogan-chanting supporters at bay.
Mucheleka and three others allegedly destroyed and grabbed NRC issuance equipment from the officers who were conducting mobile registration exercise on September 4, this year in Chitamba village in Kasama.
They appeared before Kasama Resident Magistrate, Samson Mumba, who represented Principal Resident Magistrate Oswald Chibalo.
Mr Chibalo was out of the district and the matter was adjourned for mention again on October 13 and 14 this year
The accused persons will continue appearing before the court for mention awaiting instructions from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as the offences are triable by the High Court.