Five UPND carders acquitted

Five UPND carders acquitted

Lusaka, August 05,ZANIS—Five United Party for National Development (UPND) carders have been acquitted by the Lusaka Magistrate Court for idle and disorderly conduct likely to cause breach of the peace.

In this case the accused persons Joseph Muzonda,48 ,Patrick Ntalasha,28,Newton Chisuta,30, Lemmy Mukoba,29,and Pumulo Sililo,35 who are alleged to have conducted a demonstration along Addis Ababa road in June 2012 by blocking the road with stones, tyres and also urinating on the road.

The carders who appeared before Magistrate Lameck Ng’ambi had pleaded not guilty to the charge of idle and disorderly conduct likely to cause breach of the peace contrary to section 78(F) of the Penal Code and Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

The prosecution evidence alleged that the carders had blocked the road with tyres and stones and traffic could not move adding that when police officers went to the scene and tried to reason with them they did not stop but instead their behaviour become worse.

And in their defence, all the accused persons denied urinating and blocking the road saying they only went to demonstrate peacefully but were beaten by the police officers when the Lusaka Province Police Commissioner arrived at the scene.

In passing sentence, Magistrate Ng’ambi said the evidence by an independent witness in the matter, a reporter from Muvi television Bruce Mwale who testified that he did not see anyone urinating on the road and that the police officers only started beating the party carders after the police commissioner arrived at the scene was a clear indication that the officers were acting upon instructions.

He acquitted the accused persons in a fully packed court room after finding that the prosecution did not prove their case beyond any reasonable doubt.

And speaking to journalists after his acquittal, one of the party carders, Joseph Muzonda said he was happy with the outcome of the judgment as he together with his co accused were just implicated in the matter.