Police have arrested Mr. Patrick Banda a Patriotic Front (PF) candidate for Lusangazi Council Chairperson By-Election in Petauke. The accused is alleged to have used a Grade Twelve School Certificate which did not belong to him to file in nominations as Council Chairperson for Lusangazi district, Police Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said
Mr. Hamoonga said police have charged and arrested Mr. Patrick Banda aged 35 of Showgrounds Compound in Petauke for the offense of impersonation contrary to Section 380 of the Penal Code of the Laws of Zambia.
According to Mr. Hamoonga, Mr. Banda has since been remanded in police custody and will appear in court soon.
Brief facts of the case are that on 30th September 2021 the Electoral Commission of Zambia received nominations for Council Chairperson for the by- Election to be held in Lusangazi District of Eastern Province of the Republic of Zambia.
It was during this exercise that Mr. Patrick Banda submitted a Grade Twelve School Certificate certified by the Examination Council of Zambia, purporting to be his when in fact not.
Earlier PF media had alleged that Police in Petauke district had arrested PF Lusangazi Council Chairperson candidate Patrick Banda after receiving instruction from the state and Electoral Commission of Zambia.
According to reports, Zambia Police officers claimed that they got instructions from the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to arrest Mr Banda.
However, the electoral commission has refuted the allegations by issuing the statement below:
Media Statement
(For Immediate release)
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has noted with serious concern allegations circulating in the media that it has issued instructions to the Zambia Police to arrest Patriotic Front (PF) aspiring candidate for the Lusangazi Council Chairperson seat over an alleged fake Grade 12 Certificate.
The Commission would like to categorically state that at no time has it issued instructions to the police to have the aspiring candidate arrested and that this news must be treated with the highest contempt.
The Commission would however like to confirm that:
- We received a written complaint from the United Party for National Development (UPND) who questioned the successful processing of the nomination of the PF candidate based on an alleged questionable Grade 12 Certificate. The Commission guided that in line with the provisions of article 52(4) of the Constitution Amendment No. 2 of 2016, “A person may challenge before a court or tribunal as prescribed, the nomination of a candidate within seven days of the close of nomination and the court shall hear the case within twenty-one days of the lodgment”. The Party was advised to explore the avenue to allow for the due process of the law to be exhausted accordingly.
- We further received correspondence from Zambia Police, Eastern Province Commanding Officer expressing interest to investigate the matter concerning the candidate’s Grade 12 Certificate. In response to this request, the Commission guided the Police on the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Process Act that make adequate grounds on challenging nominations and indeed elections on the basis of qualifications.
The Commission reiterates its impartial stance in the conduct of electoral activities and wishes to remind aggrieved parties to utilise grievance procedures provided in the Constitution and the Electoral Process Act.
Patricia Luhanga
Corporate Affairs Manager
For/The Chief Electoral Office
Why did they wait until the election was about to take place?
Classic case of a technical knockout!
Come on PF you are better than this.
What tribe is he ? Will I be accused of being tribal again by pointing out that the majority of sakalas from the east and north? The statistics show the majority of those in prisons for theft are not from the South.
Typical of PF party fraud…lied about the gigantic debt,lied about “more money in your pocket in 90 days”,lied about the sickly economy…etc.And now their fraud candidate of questionable integrity.
It wouldnt have happened, this arrest, if he had been aUPND member. Cadre Police Services
According to reports, Zambia Police officers claimed that they got instructions from the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to arrest Mr Banda. If will be doing the same things the PF was doing we won’t move forward as a country, They maybe
a political will to fight corruption but I don’t think there’s a political will to change our political environment yet!
We received a written complaint from the United Party for National Development (UPND) who questioned the successful processing of the nomination of the PF candidate based on an alleged questionable Grade 12 Certificate.
If they had received this complaint in Lungu’s time they would have just ignored it
Check certificates of Malanji and lusambo well
This is not news naimwe, cos who in the pf has a proper Sugo certificate? Even their SG had to perform martial arts to get one towards elections. And his too is questionable. Kampyongo, Chama, bowman lusambo, including given lubinda all these don’t ve G12. It was really chipantepante mwane.
Its always said that there’s no honour among thieves…and PF was a party of thieves.
The documents required are now being scrutinized properly, but I have the feeling that it didn’t happen previously. So how many officials actually made it into office on illegitimate documents? Edgar China Lungu, were all his papers OK? GL, CK, GBM, DM, etc? I guess we will never know…….
#11 Talk about others not Edgar. He was a top student at Mukuba Secondary School, did well at UNZA and practiced law before he became president. Hatred for someone should not lead to lie about them. His classmates are still alive. Just go to Chimwemwe, Kitwe if you think his papers are fake.
Nonsense. The upnd is fearing banda.
Fraud is a Crime, whether UPND or PF, it is an offense and should be jailed. Think of it, what if he got elected? Enjoying benefits using someone’s Sweat? Let’s get serious and combat such corruption.
Fact-check from ECZ. Matter settled. Let the law now take its course. This idea of selling news on vexatious basis should come to an end. Facts cabe a mambala.
So is the picture that of the person picked up or who? This is midcore reporting ba LT naimwe. I am not a journalist, but i think these should be basics. Story doesn’t really convey the intended message as a result. Yaaaaaa please bane,,,,!! raise your game,”its a new dawn folks”.
ECZ must have the ca[acity to request the verification of these qualification from the Zambia examination council (ZEC ). If any is found to have violeted te code thay are rported to the police for criminal investigation. It is not ba PF it is that particular individual. Dont lump everyone together for the sin of one person. That is a backward thinking.
#18 My take is why didn’t the ECZ detect this anomaly at filing time?