MALICIOUS ARRESTS

THERE is fear in the nation.

The arrest and treatment of former ministers in the Patriotic Front government does not speak very well for the country’s democracy.

Neither does it speak well about the rule of law. Three former ministers have been arrested in the last three months and subjected to inhuman treat ment, then locked up over bailable offences.

Former Defence Minister Davies Chama was ar rested in Lusaka, held at Woodlands Police Station before he was driven to Livingstone.

From Livingstone, he was then taken to Sesheke where the alleged offence occurred. At the end of all the drama, he was charged with a much lesser offence than the one Police had made the public be lieve – and was granted bail.

Next to be arrested was former Foreign Affairs Minister Joel Malanji.

He was not only detained, but was given very stiff conditions for police bond by the Drug Enforcement Commission that all right thinking members of soci ety found outlandish.

DEC wanted Mr Malanji to handover documents to a helicopter that he owned.

Indeed, even the High Court ruled that it was ille gal for DEC to demand that Mr Malanji surrenders documents for his helicopter for him to be released on police bond.

Judge Dancewell Bowa made the ruling when he granted Mr. Malanji bond after setting aside the DEC’s atrocious demand.

The court gave Mr. Malanji bond conditions of K10, 000 for each of his two working sureties in their own recognisance and himself in his own recognisance.

He was later released from Ridgeway police post where he spent two nights following his arrest with former Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba on Tuesday.

However, even more saddening and worrying was the treatment given to former Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo who was arrested for some al leged offence committed in 2015 in Chinsali.

Mr Kampyongo was driven in the dead of the night – about 02:00 hours – to Chinsali without even the knowledge of his family or lawyers.

What is baffling about Mr Kampyongo’s arrest is the crime he is accused of: his role in the he licopter attack at Kalalantekwe school grounds in Shiwangandu six years ago.

Testifying before the Commission of Inquiry into the voting patterns in the 1915 Presidential by-election, UPND deputy secretary general Patrick Mucheleka said “I was personally able to see Hon. Kampyongo in a GRZ (Government of the Republic of Zambia) Pajero (vehicle) from a distance watch ing and giving instructions … with my two eyes...,” he said. Mr Mucheleka further said he had video footage of the whole incident in his possession and would avail it to the Commission.

But according to the Commission, and contrary to Mr Mucheleka‘s submission, Mr Kampyongo was not seen in the footage.

The treatment of these former ministers is first and foremost in sharp contrast to the policy direc tives that President Hakainde Hichilema gave when he assumed office.

Mr Hichilema said his administration was an chored on the rule of law and that no person should be kept in police cells for over 48 hours before ap pearing in court.

These police antics are sending a wrong signal not only to ordinary Zambians but the international community as well. Zambians are silently watching what is going on and they will react at an opportune time.

Government’s lame statements that the fight against corruption or crimes committed in yester years are not vindictive are mere rhetoric.

The narrative from the new dawn administration is that all former ministers and top senior officials in the PF administration are crooks, do not augur well for nation building.

Not everyone who served in government was corrupt.