Zambia: A Police officer released 13 suspects from the prison to celebrate the New Year after getting drunk. Identified as Detective Inspector – Titus Phiri, was arrested after releasing the suspects from Leonard Cheelo Police Station in the capital, Lusaka before he himself tried to run away.
Reportedly, The Zambian Police Officer released the suspects from the custody so that they could go and celebrate the new year. The 13 suspects were detained and accused of crimes such as assault, robbery and burglary.
As per the sources, all the detainees are currently on run and a manhunt has been launched to find them.
Spokesperson for police – Rae Hamoonga said that Inspector Phiri was in a state of intoxication and forcibly seized the cell keys from constable Serah Banda on New Year’s Eve. Phiri unlocked both the male and female cells and instructed the suspects to leave and stated that they were free to cross over into the new year.
Detective Inspector has not commented anything on the allegations yet. Total 13 suspects escaped from the custody out of 15. Following the incident, the officer fled the scene.
Former Presidential Spokesperson and Lawyer – Dickson Jere also reacted to the incident and wrote on Facebook that he keeps laughing each time comically as he picturises the scenario. But then he remembered a similar incident that happened in 1997.
Recalling the incident, Jere noted that in 1997 on New Year’s Eve, the late controversial High Court Judge – Kabazo Chanda ordered the release of 53 suspects and some of them were deemed dangerous by the police.
High Court Judge Chanda was annoyed as the suspects were arrested as long as 1992 but surprisingly, they had not appeared or presented themselves yet in the court. Jere stated justice delayed is justice denied.
The Zambian police is amazed with the occurrence of similar incidents as this is not right for the residents and increases the probability of any new crime to happen. Search for the suspects is still going on and police is finding them everywhere.