A female police officer, who assaulted a traffic offender in Livingstone after he refused to bribe her, must be disciplined, the Police Public Complaints Authority (PPCA) has recommended.
PPCA chairperson James Mwanakatwe announced the recommendation after a two day public complaint hearing for both parties in Livingstone recently.
A Livingstone taxi driver was alleged to have abducted the named female police officer after she instructed the taxi driver to drive to the police station. The taxi driver defied the orders and sped in a different direction while allegedly threatening her with death.
But it was later established that the police officer allegedly solicited K80,000 as a bribe for her to drop the traffic offences against the offender.
According to a formal letter of complaint and findings of the PPCA, the police officer hit the taxi driver with a glass bottle in the head after he refused to pay the bribe.
“It is not in dispute that the complainant had committed some traffic offences. We have found that the evidence of the complainant was more credible than that of the respondent (police officer). The respondent had claimed that the complainant had threatened to kill her. The authority found no evidence to support the respondent’s defence,” Mr Mwanakatwe said.
“We have, therefore, found that the complaint before the authority has merit. The evidence in our record shows that it was in fact the respondent who was the aggressor. There was nothing that the complainant did to justify that act of violence. It is clear by the evidence on record that an offence was committed by the respondent,” he said.
Mr Mwanakatwe urged police officers in the country to observe and respect human rights while in the execution of their duties.
And the PPCA has directed Livingstone police traffic section to track down and fine an offender who has not paid an admission of guilt fine for an offence he committed about three years ago.
This follows a complaint by a member of the public against police inaction by allowing the culprit to go scot-free.
This is in a matter where a Livingstone resident Trywell Tembo, 70, reported a named police officer for not collecting a fine imposed on the offender by the police.
“It is unfortunate that police had adopted a laissez-fare attitude in handling this matter and Mr Tembo as a citizen has the right to report cases and offences to the police which he comes across.
As police you have to treat all offences seriously and take appropriate action in accordance with the law. We shall in that vein submit our findings and recommendations to the Inspector General of Police,” He said.
Mr Mwanakatwe said the offender must be located and fined or face possible prosecution.
The PPCA a Zambia Police Service ‘watchdog’ are conducting public complaints hearing against inappropriate police action and inaction in Southern Province.
This is in accordance with the authority’s mandate by an Act of Parliament to help promote good governance in the country.
This is further in tandem with President Sata’s resolve to revive and restructure police operations in the country.
Mr Mwanakatwe is in the company of his vice Emmanuel Chileshe and acting executive secretary Maureen Chilende. Others are PPCA commissioners James Nyambaza, Geoffrey Samusungwa and Simasiku Kalumiana.
The authority has so far conducted hearings of some members of the public against some police officers in Livingstone, Kalomo, Choma and Namwala.
And speaking during a courtesy call to the Southern provincial administration and commanding officer Brenda Muntemba, Mr Mwanakatwe said the PPCA should not be perceived by police officers as an institution interfering with their core duties.
He said the authority’s primary concern is to ensure that police act professionally in maintaining law and order.
“The police must at all times act professionally in the execution of their duties by upholding high ethical standards. It is only through this, public confidence in the police will be enhanced thereby making their work easier,” Mr Mwanakatwe said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
ZP
Did she solicit for money or six
am trying my level best to believe this story but one element beats me. Are we sure a traffic cop can hit someone with a bottle just because that person akana kucheka? the worst that a cop can do if you refuse kumujubilako is to make sure you go all the way up to ku wire or multiply the charges(resisting arrest) or slap you with more fresh charges(driving without a cellphone). Not smashing your face with a bottle i know our police are corrupt but not to such extremes
Silly thing! Why didn`t she just pull her skirt down?
Corrupt police should be arrested on the stop
#3 Can’t agree more with you. Yes you can have it pretty rough with some police officerz, but to have a glass bottle smashed in your head, and by a female cop!, iz rather too James Bond or Hardley Chase for me to comprehend.
total fabrication. why should she do that when she can just lock up the guy. more to it than what meets the eye.
ANGER!!! ANGER!!!!
:)>-[-(
People, the police service is corrupt to the core! I assume this cop arrested the taxi driver towards the end of the shift and expected him to bribe her but the taxi driver refused and a quarrel must have ensued when the taxi driver refused to stop but drive to the police station. Obviously the savagely female cop smashed a bottle on the head of the taxi and when the taxi stopped she tried to claim abduction and the rest is water under the bridge. The savagely female cop will now face displinary charges and may even lose the job? Is the bribe worth her job and benefits?
I hope this is the same female police officer who harrassed me one day at the Tank road block. I argued with the police officer from 17.00hrs and she only released me after 22.00hrs because I refused to burge. She is the most stubborn person I have ever met. The reason was that my brand new vehicle did not have white tape reflectors in front although it had fitted red reflectors from the factory at the rear. Serves her good.
Total fabrication by the offender. The guy just cheated that the police lady wanted a bribe. The guy is a just a fuc I cannot believe in his story. Stupid *****.
I know her , for me i had sex with her and paid 300pin, she initially asked for 90,000 for overloading, i didnt resist but said i meet u after knock off time , we met and i took her for a drink then everything was ok.
They should even minimize the Road blocks in LSK its creating unnecessary congestion..They hungry 4 chrismas money .
sampa, are you sure not receiving a bribe would make you or anyone react in that manner? i do not think even if she was extremely angry, to have reacted in that way without extreme provocation. we all know taxi drivers to be extremely rude. that is all the reason why am saying there is more to this than what meets the eye. and thats why I WILL BE BACK!
thats what the police do owaz. now its dont kubeba in power it is cleaning all the cobwebs of corruption away RB wil go with them to his farm. let that police officer be delt with. its too much of these people.
Ma stories ba LT atase lol
The Police is question if what LT is saying is true must be fired.Failure to fire her let the people organize and get the top gun at the Police department to be fired.
Inspector General must be fired with immediate effect for failure to oversee a department under his leadership.The inspector General has allowed the culture of corruption in the police department under his watch.
unbelievable.okay we know police officers have killed pipo in cells thru severe beatings but not the way this mama officer behaved.tough guy hey.
The so-called Police Service is a bunch of childish grown-ups who thrive on silly hide-and-seek games of speed traps, false accusations, and pure incompetence. It should revert to Police Force as they are pure Nazis. They are only there to protect their interests and those of politicians.
I am sorry but this is a Kangaroo court. Police Public Complaints Authority is totally out of order here. When did this Taxi driver complain to them? What proof have they got that the PCW did hit the man with a glass bottle. If he was hit, isn’t it likely that she did so in self defence while abducted in this man’s car? On the other hand, why did the PCW enter a suspect’s car to go to the Police station ALONE! Yes, there is impropriety here but none of this case is proved.
Kuchinyenga fye chi kapokola. Bwamba chalefwaya..
Police na police sivintu!