POLICE IN GOLD SCAM

…As Mwinilunga residents riot over unprofessional conduct

Mwinilunga District Commissioner, Arnot Mapulanga said the residents started the riot in the early morning of yesterday to show their displeasure over the unprofessional conduct of police officers.

And when contacted, North-Western Commissioner of Police Elias Chushi’s phone went unanswered and when this reporter tried again by press time he switched of the phone.

But Mr Mapulanga confirmed that the people in the area were not happy with how the officers were operating.

He said in an interview that residents were upset that officers who were supposed to protect gold on behalf of the State were the ones stealing the mineral.

Mr Mapulanga said residents want officers involved in illegality be dealt with according to the laws of Zambian.

The District Commissioner said the angry residents were shocked that officers can be conniving with foreign nationals to steal gold.

He said that after his intervention the situation came to normal and assured the residents that something would be done accordingly.

On Sunday Mr Mapulanga in an interview told the Daily

Nation that some police officers had been conniving with the foreign nationals to illegally mine the resource.

He said that the said officers were on the run but a man hurt had been instituted in order to apprehend them.

“These police officers involved in illegality are tarnishing the good name of the President and the government who employed them to guard the resource on behalf of this country,” he said.