SUSPENDED commissioner of police Mary Tembo refuses to appear before Court

SUSPENDED Copperbelt commissioner of police Mary Tembo has refused to appear before the Ndola Magistrate’s Court, saying she was arrested in Lusaka and could only appear in the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court.
And Ms Tembo has complained to Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director general Rosewin Wandi about the manner in which law enforcement officers arrested her.
She charges that the ACC officers arrested her as they would arrest a common criminal.
Ms Tembo, who is scheduled to appear before the Ndola Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of abuse of authority of office, says she expected to appear in the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court as she was arrested in Lusaka.
She was arrested on Monday for allegedly obtaining a motor vehicle she registered in her name from a mining company on the Copperbelt.
This is contained in a letter dated November 14, 2013 addressed to Ms Wandi by Ms Tembo’s lawyer Milner Katolo.  The letter was obtained by the Zambia Daily Mail in Lusaka yesterday.
The letter is copied to Minister of Home Affairs Edgar Lungu, Ministry of Home Affairs permanent secretary Emelda Chola and State House permanent secretary Kaiza Zulu.
“The question that begs an answer is why wasn’t our client summoned through a call-out to report herself in Kitwe as was the case with the warn-and-caution statement? Is there an ulterior motive for the prosecution?” reads part of the letter.
The ACC has summoned Ms Tembo to appear before the Ndola Magistrate’s Court on Monday for allocation of her case and possible plea.
And Mr Katolo said Ms Tembo is geared to appear before the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court and not the Ndola Magistrate’s Court because she is not on the Copperbelt.
He said Ms Tembo is shocked that the warn-and-caution statement was recorded from Kitwe but the officers opted to arrest her in Lusaka.
Mr Katolo said the arrest of Ms Tembo in Lusaka is a sign that the officers want the matter to be heard in Lusaka and not on the Copperbelt.