A Lusaka police officer has committed suicide in Sikanze Camp after allegedly failing to pay K35,000, as compensation, to another officer whom he assaulted.

Confirming the incident in an interview, Police Spokesperson Esther Mwaata Katongo said the officer identified as Sergent Charles Mukupa shot himself in the mouth.

“We recorded a case of suicide which happened at Mobile Unit Operational camp which is based in Sikanze police camp, involving our officer identified as Sergent Charles Mukupa who is reported to have had shot himself through the mouth,” Katongo said.

Katongo explained that Sergent Mukupa had been ordered to pay K35,000 as compensation to a colleague whom he assaulted, but he only managed to raise K5,000.

She said the officer who had been assaulted by the deceased refused to get the K5,000 saying he wanted K35,000 to be paid at once.

“The matter at hand was that the same person who has taken his life had assaulted another officer, also a Sergent and then the matter was reported to Kabwata police. After the matter was reported, the same person who has taken his life wanted to have the matter settled outside court. He was told to pay something like K35,000 by another Sergent that he had assaulted. So he organized a K5,000 yesterday which he wanted to pay as down payment but this officer that he had assaulted refused to get the K5,000. He wanted the K35,000 to be paid at once,” she explained.

Katongo said Sergent Mukupa was found dead in his room in the early hours of Wednesday and the body had since been taken to UTH mortuary.

“In the early hours of today, between 05 hours and 06:30 hours, the officer was found dead in his room after shooting himself. The body has been taken to UTH mortuary,” said Katongo.