TAKE GUNS AWAY FROM TRIGGER HAPPY POLICE OFFICERS - MSONI

NASON Msoni, the All People’s Congress president says guns should be withdrawn from police officers and instead given short buttons because most of them are trigger happy.

Mr Msoni said in an interview from the UK that every police officer that killed a citizen must be held accountable.

“If you check in other countries, including the United Kingdom, police men don’t move with guns but just a button,” Mr Msoni said.

He said when police officers killed people, it meant that the Government in place had no value for human life.

Mr Msoni’s remarks came in the wake of the Human Rights Commission statement that it was investigating the police service for extra-judicial killings, torture and inhumane treatment of suspects.

The former UPND Alliance member further blamed President Hakainde Hichilema for the police’s arrogance and impunity to killing suspects and stopping political gatherings.

“Sometimes these reports come a little bit late when things are out of hand. Some cops are trigger happy. All the police killings amount to extra-judicial killings.

“I have never supported the killing of anyone. Everyone should be held accountable and subjected to the judicial process so that they have an opportunity to be presented before court,” Mr Msoni said.

He said the killing of human beings by the police is most barbaric thing and sometimes one might think the police killed a thief yet it was a rival to the policeman. “It takes a long time to bring up a man in a village and all of a sudden, and of all a sudden a by cross fire. We can’t continue like this,” Mr Msoni said.

He said a good Government must ensure that people who are alleged to have committed crimes are given an opportunity to defend themselves in the courts of law.

He said extra-judicial killing does not help any society.