Police spokesperson Esther Katongo said it was merely a perception that police officers were the most corrupt and that during raids, officers stole things and defecated in homes.
Ms Katongo said the Police Service had dedicated staff who were educated and had self dignity.
She said this when she responded to callers during a Radio Christian Voice programme ‘Chat back’.
“We need to respect police officers. They have dignity and are educated,” Ms Katongo said.
She said it was not possible that police officers could go into a person’s home and defecate in there or steal underwear.
Ms Katongo said such views were peddled by people who wanted to tarnish the image of the police.
She also said it was not true that police traffic officers were the most corrupt.
There are a number of traffic police officers that are corrupt, but the section also has honest hard working officers.
Ms Katongo said police officers were seen to be more corrupt because they interacted more with the public as compared to other law-enforcing agencies.
She said the responsibility was on the public to report any corrupt police officers to the police stations’ officers-in-charge or the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Ms Katongo said the Police Command could not act based on rumours and so it needed to work on reported cases.
She said if the public did not officially complain, the corrupt police officers would continue to engage in corruption and remain unpunished.
Ms Katongo said police officers should be mirrors of society and uphold the law.
She said it was unfortunate that despite the introduction of the chaplaincy where police officers could express themselves, incidences of officers engaging in gender-based violence and shooting of spouses still occurred.
Ms Katongo also said the police were within the law to use teargas canisters to disperse unruly crowds.
She said police officers were allowed to use minimum force in the execution of their duties.
The water cannons are currently not sufficient to be used in dispersing unruly crowds.
Yes the whole police force is corrupt.
U can’t tell the station comander he is the one sending them to collect.
Yes you have stopped using water and prefer live bullets to force helpless people.
Police is rotten/corrupt from top to bottom.
The many corrupt police officers have spoilt the good name of the very few honest police officers still remaining in the police service if any!
This is a rotten police service!
Shocking that one can refute such a fact, some jobs, awe sure.
Mumbi Phiri started this disgusting things that they did at HH house. You see now going to general public.
I have 3-4 good friends in the force, they are fairly professional. What they fail to not to belo
Of course. Verwoed said apartheid was the best form of governance, Hitler said he was God’s gift to the world. So its just appropriate that Esther says what she’s said.
Does this woman live in Zambia. I have a copy of a video of her police officers not only stealing food and clothing but defecating in HH’s house. She thinks she is talking to PF cadres. Why is Zambia so unlucky being ruled by such low class people.
This bitch has made me so angrily, I want to vomit. Moneni chisoswe
Yes cops are the most corrupt let someone from ACC to defend you not yourselves. I remember years back,it was the headline in the national paper. So its true and its easy to prove. From lusaka to kitwe you can pass all check points with a car with no road tax. Just carry enough money and you just pay them off through out your way. Its a sad story. Yes too many bad cops.
Traffic cops in Lusaka are now called Robocops. You always find them hiding near robots stealing from hapless drivers that run a red light. It is embarrassing especially when you have foreign visitors and you have to explain to them that all these cops have been sent out of station to go make some bucks for their upkeep. This can not be denied by anyone.
They also hide behind tuntemba’s for salalula on Lumumba Rd and elsewhere . When they see a Toyota Corolla which looks like a private taxi, they jump infront of the car and demand all sorts of paper work, so that, when the driver fails to produce the documents he wiuld be fined on the spot!
Indeed they r corrupt and traffic is th worst! Supprisingly they behave th same countrywide, just wondering may b its part of their syllabus at lilayi
corrupt
k??r?pt/Submit
adjective
1.
having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.
“unscrupulous politicians assisted by corrupt officials”
synonyms: dishonest, dishonourable, unscrupulous, unprincipled, amoral, untrustworthy, underhand, deceitful, double-dealing, disreputable, discreditable, shameful, scandalous; More
verb
1.
cause to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.
“there is a continuing fear of firms corrupting politicians in the search for contracts”
synonyms: bribe, suborn, buy, buy off, pay off; More
2.
change or debase by making errors or unintentional alterations.
“a backup copy will be needed if the original copy becomes corrupted”
synonyms: alter, falsify, manipulate, tamper with, interfere…
Madam top cop understand this. If your officers are well read and understand the constitution and our laws and the oath that they gave, then their actions of ignoring the constitution to obtain favour for their chances of promotion, are acts of corruption.
if the officers are not well read and carry out the acts from ignorance, they are inept and incompetent.
So which is it madam top cop.
In Zambia we need a RICO Act
“The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. The RICO Act focuses specifically on racketeering, and it allows the leaders of a syndicate to be tried for the crimes which they ordered others to do or assisted them in doing, closing a perceived loophole that allowed a person who instructed someone else to, for example, murder, to be exempt from the trial because they did not actually commit the crime personally.[1]”
Politicians that incite, abate and collude to do organised crime should be punishable.
ZP – Zabwino Palibe…
Tizivomelako vinavintu. ZP is the worst; poorly trained, CORRUPT and no ethics, we need better.
Society as a whole is the most corrupt. Demand for a receipt and meet the requested amount. Or just refuse to pay an officer on demand.
The legal profession is the most corrupt; the police may be in second position.
If the legal profession was not the most corrupt, there would be no tension in the country. For instance, even newly appointed judges have ‘acquired’ wealth that can never be explained.
Well,
Zambia Police, the Civil Servants, e.g. at Lands and Council Office workers are corrupt.
Otherwise prove us wrong by doing your work on time and by not asking or demanding for money from service users.
To be specific, it is the Traffic Section of the Zambian Police that is riddled with high levels of corruption. When Dr. Malama (now MP) was Inspector General of Police he curtailed this cancer by abolishing the Police Check Points in Chisamba, north of Mulungushi, in Ndola near the Mufulira-Kitwe Round-about, one at Kafue Bridge before Moba Hotel in Kitwe and other sites countrywide. Civilization was restored to motorists. For some strange reasons the crooks in the cartel influenced President Sata to deploy Dr. Malama out the country only to witnesse the White-capped Police resume the looting of the public.
THE MERE SITE OF TRAFFIC POLICE IRRITATES ALL LAW-ABIDING ZAMBIANS. Re-deploy them to police towns and vital national infrastructures; but retain a few to service the Presidential…
The Zambian police officer’s are the most corrupt reptiles on planet earth . there’s nothing they can’t do when given 100 kwacha,that includes stealing, killings, rape and you name it . this ugly police woman knows better when there’s fake road blocks around Lusaka,correcting money from motorists when ever they are broke
Shes lying, when you witness a crime they lock you up as suspect. Even when you are the victim they try to lock you up.
They love money more than anything.
Corruption at Zp is a daily routine.
The Ministry of Home Affairs must re-deploy most of the Traffic Officers to police residential areas and vital national infrastructures. But only a few Traffic Officers can be retained to service the Presidential Motorcades. The speed-trap meters can be transferred to RTSA.
It goes like this.
‘This car is defective and you have no Fitness certificate.’
‘Ah, sorry officer. It was just an oversight.’
‘We have to impound the vehicle as it is not safe on the road. Let’s go to the station. You drive sir.’
If the vehicle is not safe, why is the police officer asking me to drive it to the station with him as a passenger?
While on the way to the station.
‘It’s all up to you sir, if you want your vehicle for the weekend.’
‘How much is the fine?’
‘K7000. Do you have the money?’
‘I only have K2000.’
‘Are you giving me an inducement? Don’t you know that it is an offence?’
‘No, officer. Please have mercy on me.’
‘Ok. Put the money here and drop me off at the corner. You can go.’
Now Ms Katongo, how does one report this to ACC?
The Police spokesperson Esther Katongo has got a very difficult job, even when she knows that what is being said is true she has to refute it. If she is a christian she must be feeling quilt telling lies all the time. Who knows some of these articles are written by her brothers, sisters or even children who see the things they buy at home after complaining of having no money the previous night.
@16, you have written so succinctly, it happened to me exactly the way you have put it 20 years ago in Ndola except that mine was a hand brake which he claimed was not working properly.
If they are not, who then is? Almost 95% of Zambians may produce eveidence of Zabwino Palibe corruption acts, the only problem we have here is that the spokesperson they have lives on planet jupiter.
Call me when this police force dismisses the claims. For now I won’t comment since they have only dismissessed them
Getting bribes is the only thing these parasites are good at. They behave as if they don’t get paid.
I was once impounded for not attaching a triangle to a load of timber I was carrying.I explained to the officer that the triangle had fallen off and showed him the same explaining that I needed to buy some string to secure it properly… We went to Emersdale Police Station where there was a frenzy of cops collecting bribes. Tens of cars were packed outside the station and cops were openly getting bribes. I was in Paris and did as the Parisans did. I was very upset that I had to give the cop K70 to proceed on my journey.
The Police service is corrupt with a stench. I don’t know how you madam, you can’t smell it. You can’t fight crime. You are good for nothing.
Paid
Official
Liars
In
Court
Evidence