Four Police officers have been arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of Zambia Air Force (ZAF) officer Mark Choongwa who died in Police custody at Woodlands Police station on 18th March,2017.
Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo has told Parliament in a ministerial statement that this follows the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the joint board of inquiry into the death of Flight Sergeant Choongwa in police cells.
Mr Kampyongo says the four officers are currently are appearing before the courts of law.
He says the joint board of inquiry comprising officers from the ministries of defence and home affairs concluded that there was no malice or aforethought on the part of the police officers in question or any other person to murder the deceased, but established that there was gross negligence on the part of the officers in the manner they handled the whole matter leading to the death of the ZAF officer.
He says the joint inquiry established that the Police officers used excessive force to get flight sergeant Choongwa into the police cells.
Mr Kampyongo says findings of the joint board of inquiry on use of force by the officers were consistent with the postmortem report which attributed the death of Flight sergeant Choongwa to trauma and stress.
Mr Kampyongo states that the joint board of inquiry therefore recommended that the police officers involved be charged with manslaughter contrary to section 199 of chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.
The law says you charge a person with murder,then in the evidence the courts of law will determine whether it is manslaughter????
You were very quick to deny that Police Officers were involved in the first place.
whether charged with murder or manslaughter choongwa is gone hope the police will lean something here, i condemn this
Killer PF trained police officers.
They should be tried in military court.
Not those magistrates of preliminary hearings for 6 months.
Those 4 PFicers will be represented by: Bwalya Fube, Eric Silwamba, Chifumu Banda and Sakwiba Sikota.
If he had not been a ZAF officer, and had his employers not put their foot down to demand justice, no commission of enquiry would have been set up and it would have been said he was an opposition party cadre and the matter could have been swept under the carpet.
Manslaughter only if the accused accepted the charge before judgment.
Meanwhile the ZAF commander is very busy travelling up and down Great East Road to KKIA to see off and welcome Lazy Lungu!!
Unleashed Killer cops!
@ 1.3 Imute wa Kalilo,
You are stained with political illusions.
Your ears hear politics;
Your eyes see politics;
What happens when you are eating?
Do you usually think that the meals are political?
“Charged with manslaughter contrary to section…” the charge is never contrary to the law. The charge is always “in accordance with section so and so.” It’s the offense which is always contrary to the law.
We hope such a calamity will never meet (HH).
Sometimes Kudos reverses his thought process and it’s difficult to know whether he is going or coming!
Meaning???
Meaning he’s an ediot.
Ba Kazeya a court cannot change a charge. Its the DPP that can change the charge. The courts only adjudicates on the case at hand and if the case does not merit that charge the court only dismisses it
@2 Mr Kudos, in the case of our underfive donkey, he wished himself into trouble. As underfive he probably thought that by getting himself into correctional facilities he was special and would be given special treatment. Especially the new term for prison must have misled U5 donkey!
@Terrible the U5 thought he could be a prince among thieves with special treatment. But it’s good to hear from his posts that he’s doing well. He’s fully enrolled at Mukobeko boarding. Ministry of Home Affairs is keeping our nation safe from thuggery.
We trust our prison wardens to keep him very safe till judgement
In other countries, they would create a commision of inquiry or Police reforms …just imagine the number of innocent citizens that have been murdered in police custody. There is not even CCTV in these pit latrines called cells. The Police IG was in the forefront defending these thugs…why are heads not rolling at the top.
At least there has been progress. People said the police were in the wrong and four of them have been charged. In other matters, we are still waiting conclusions. The inquiry into the sex scandals at Kasama Girls and the Police training camp are still pending. Nobody is talking about them.
I believe they got bail…what progress…this is the tip of the ice berg!!
All this over a minor traffic misunderstanding. Sad. Just dissolve this traffic division and let RTSA manage traffic issues. These others are just enforcing their pockets! Sad that a lesser sentence has been given. Murder would have made sense. These chaps meant to kill and don’t understand human rights. What I don’t understand is the ZAF of today. How do you sit and watch your own taken down just like that? If a soldier’s life can be so carelessly wasted, what more us ordinary citizens? Are we safe? What a kingdom of Savages we have become?
Treason case can take over 5 years to complete because there should be comprehensive findings and conclusions that led to treason case. Its a criminal case and thats why its not bailable. Just thinking aloud! The good news is that by that time Zambia would have voted peacefully with some criminals behind bars.
Take them to the shooting range. Let them be executed, military style.
Isn’t this just to ensure that regardless of what happens from hence, those officers should get off lightly?
In one breathe he says there was ‘no malice’, and in another he says they used excessive force. Which is which? He’s trying to defend them at the same time while charging them.
The DPP should have been the one to investigate this case, even if it means recuse themselves and appointing an independent investigator. The enquiry should have been to investigate the entire police force and making recommendations for reform.
So who’s going to prosecute the case, the same people on the enquiry or they have handed over evidence to the DPP who should recuse herself/himself? Are the culprits on suspension or they are still working, thus tempering with evidence and witnesses.
I think murder would have been an appropriate charge.
Me too, I think Sgt. Mark Choongwa deserved to live. Murder is the appropriate charge. police always rush to use brutal force. This is a gallant service man we lost and he deserves justice.
Good morning U5. I wish you good spirits
today as you continue to waste yourself.
Have you noticed how the international community is going about its business in Zambia without a single reference to you? It’s as if you didn’t exist. It can be concluded that the international community is in agreement how to treat disrespectful micreants like yourself, underfive donkey. The world from Trump’s USA to Putin’s Russia has a standard of behaviour that is expected of all politicians without exception. Anything else is treated as terrorism.
Why do you take pride in someone’s suffering? Do you think you’re normal? The norm is that when you can’t mourn with the bereaved, you at least just keep quiet.
Nkhata bay
It confirms the calibre of the pipo leading us.If these pipo can have such low values like taking delight in inflicting unnecesary pain what can they offer when it comes to serious issues of governance.And they live like there is no tomorrow.Honestly how will they explain themselves when the time to explain comes.Can they even manage to stay in Chimbokaila for 30 days.Some of them will suffer from alcohol withdrawal symptoms within 48 hours.
These officewrs should not have been given bail; they should have been locked up; they will go to witchdoctors to get charms for their case; Kanganja and Kampyongo should resign
Kampyongo resigning? Then go back to Katondo Street..no chance!!
“…[]Contrary to section 199 of chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.”
LT, employ court reporters. There’s no such a thing as you’ve stated. The correct term or description is “Contrary to section 199 of the penal code chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.”
@ 1.3 Imute wa Kalilo,
You are stained with political illusions.
Your ears hear politics;
Your eyes see politics;
What happens when you are eating?
Do you usually think that the meals are political?
How do people train themselves to see politics in everything?
kill them two
a charge of whether man slaughter or murder depends on intention, dolos. the initial charge is murder if but the defence can prove that there was no intention to kill but death resulted the case becomes man slaughter where negligency comes into play meaning acting in an unreasonable manner that resulted in the death.. its just that simple… musabaila che.. lets discuss how to grow our GDP… 15 million people is not a lot of people
Point, One Zambian. As they say in the US justice system, it was not premeditated. There was no intention to kill. This is a just ruling. Our judiciary is functional.
Mwila I agree with you..it’s a shame the ZAF guys are just watching when their man was killed..and if my memory serves me right the cops even said vi zaf vimazinvesa..it’s like there is enmity between the two forces..zaf says police officers are just civilians and the police say zaf people are big headed for nothing…just have a ka friendly exchange of gunfire and the army will be the referee
“Mr Kampyongo says the four officers are currently are appearing before the courts of law.” but goes ahead and gives the findings/ministerial position Is this not contempt of court? He should have just said the case is before the courts.This is exactly why Zambia’s development moves at a tortoise’s pace.
Terrible, are you normal?. A life is lost and you talk of donkeys. Let your relative die many people pass funny comments, tell us how you will feel.
Young man be sober and act as a real man…. Life is not cheap…. Apply truth to your life. . GOD loves everyone and you must not exhibit childish manners.
Enter a nolle and re arrest them for first degree murder.
Who ever is responsible for RTSA please sort out the mess at the Kitwe offices. We’re now sleeping outside RTSA to obtain our road documents. The situation has given rise to the “pungwas ” who are now exploiting us.
chimsoro milling eyabako
Is it possible to detect stress on a postmortem table? which genius wrote that report?
Prisoners were charged with murder. So officers should be also.
Police advised prisoners committed murder and charged so the police that stated that they committed murder should be charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. The prisoners are also guilty by not speaking out The pipo now charged should also be charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, just as anybody involved in the obvious coverup should be charged. That is the rule of law.