Thursday, March 28, 2024

Nchito blames Zambia police’s shoddy investigations for delayed cases

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DPP Mutembo Nchito addressing delegates during the 3rd International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) Conference for the Africa-India Ocean Region in Livingstone at Zambezi Sun Hotel
DPP Mutembo Nchito

DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mutembo Nchito has said that the delay to issue instructions by his office to refer cases to the High Court for trial is as a result of shoddy investigations by some police officers.

Mr Nchito said this yesterday at the closure of the Lusaka sittings for the Legal and Justice Sector Reform Commission in Matero Township.

He said that some police officers’ investigations needed to be re-visited before a matter was referred to the High Court.

Mr Nchito said police officers were creating a problem by placing this blame on his office, knowing that they were the ones who delayed cases because of to rushed investigations.

The DPP was responding to concerns by petitioners who wanted to know why murder and aggravated robbery cases took long to be referred to the High Court for trial.

Mr Nchito said the office of the DPP had made it mandatory that a file taken to his office should be verified within two to three days but that the delay arose when there were too many queries that needed further investigations.

He said sensitive cases like murder needed to be verified thoroughly before referring them to higher courts compared to political offences and that citizens should understand that procedures differed in such cases.

“Police investigators should stop putting the blame on the DPP’s chambers, they know what delays the cases. It’s sometimes their shoddy investigations but when in court they will say we are waiting for instructions from the DPP. I think that is where the problem lies,” Mr Nchito said.

Mr Nchito said political cases were also delayed once referred to the High Court due in some cases to procedure.

Some petitioners submitted that the Ruth Mbandu case and others like it had dragged on for a long time, while other cases were progressing well, including the election petitions which had even been given a time frame to be disposed off.

“This is sad. Those with non-bailable offences are rotting in jail because of the DPP’s chambers. Citizens and the nation at large are all following with keen interest these matters. We have noticed that political cases are being disposed off faster than murder and aggravated robbery cases,” they said.

6 COMMENTS

    • This usual DPP is on record directing what evidence the police should manufacture he is not only incompetent but a clear failure as a human being. Infant officers under him wonder whether he understands criminal law and prosecutions as opposed to persecution

  1. Mutembo is out blaming others because he knows that Solomon Jere is ill. That Libongani need a stronger helper.

  2. Is that the excuse he has to explain why he enters into so many nolle prosequis? I have yet to see this man successfully prosecute and convict at least one of our many corrupt politicians.

  3. There is rampant corruption in Zambia.Recently I viewed a document forged by a lenje head man claiming outstanding payment for land The lenje head man had been paid in full by the buyer who is now deceased. An expert in forged documents from Germany verified the document produced by that lenge garbage head man was forged. Lenje head men( 10 miles and 15 miles) are corrupt uneducated garbage. The one at 10 miles is not entitled to any ‘headmanship’. He is a conman who uses the surname of a man who was not his father.

  4. Learned DPP, most rushed and ill-investigated unfair and corrupt investigations often emerges from the ACC which has even more learned staff than the Police Quite frequently ACC investigators are merely job-seekers, out to frame, implicate and vindictively wish for others or mostly innocent suspects to be convicted, just make impressions like they are working, but often loses court cases. Only the most Just God will sort them out one day soon!

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