…”we picked up people who took videos of the arrest, including a pregnant woman, and deleted the entire footage.”
Lusaka, Nov. 23 – A Police Officer has told the court that they didn’t issue a police call-out to summon Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba. Detective Simwenda Steven also stated that he was not aware that he was reported for assault at Woodlands Police Station and that Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba had sued him and two other state police officers for damages over his torture.
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Simwenda also confirmed that they picked up people who took videos of the arrest from the car wash. He confirmed that the phones were taken from them, including a pregnant woman, and that, they deleted the evidence.
Simwenda couldn’t explain why the phones were taken from the ladies and why he couldn’t produce the images to prove his allegations of assault against Amb. Mwamba.
At the beginning, Simwenda claimed that he was not aware that there were other people present when he apprehended Amb. Mwamba. He said their intention was to pick up Amb. Mwamba from the car wash.
He said there was no need to give Amb. Mwamba summons or police call-out. He said there was a fracas at the car wash.
He confirmed that he damaged Amb. Mwamba’s thumb to protect himself. He said they grabbed the phone from him against Amb. Mwamba’s will.
When Simwenda was shown pictures of Amb. Mwamba’s injuries on the shoulder and knocked out tooth, the witness said the injuries were consistent with the medical report from UTH.
Simwenda also confirmed that they had grabbed phones from persons that took videos of the arrest. He also stated that it was not an offence to take pictures of the arrest but couldn’t explain why they rounded up the persons taking the videos.
Simwenda also claimed that he didnt remember that he was part of the officers that tortured and beat Rizwan Patel from Lilayi Police Station and took him in the bush were he fired an AK47 over the head of Mr. Patel to compel him to implicate Amb. Mwamba being a source of certain documents that were published.
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Simwenda was shown a court action filed in the Lusaka High Court number 2023/HP/847. In the suit, Amb. Mwamba has sued Steven Simwenda, Joseph Kapasa and Brian Chipango,the police officers for assault.
Simwenda also stated that he had only learnt on Social-media that Amb. Mwamba had filed a complaint to the Public and Police Complaints Commission over their unethical and criminal court.
Simwenda also said to date the Police have not charged or arrested Amb. Mwamba for the offence of publication and no such a matter had been brought before court.
On 14th June 2023, over 12 unknown men arrived at a car wash in woodlands, brutalised Amb. Mwamba and picked him to an unknown place. Amb. Mwamba remained in police custody at Emasdale Police and was leter charged for assaulting a police officer.
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