The state has discontinued the matter in which a 16-year-old ‘miniskirt’ juvenile and her auntie were facing one count of malicious damage to Zambia Police property worth K70.

In this matter, Mirriam Mwanza and her juvenile niece were jointly charged with the offence of malicious damage to property.

Particulars of the offence were that on December 22, last year, the duo jointly and whilst acting together willfully and unlawfully damaged two padlocks valued at K70, the property of Zambia Police Service.

At the last sitting, Lusaka magistrate Racheal Mwansa advised the State after the duo pleaded not guilty, to consider a ‘plea bargain’ or reconciliation as the matter was a misdemeanor, adding that she felt they couldn’t go into trial over K70.

And when the matter came up for possible commencement of trial, Monday, the State informed the Court that it was not ready to proceed in the matter and was therefore applying that the matter be discontinued.

In response, magistrate Mwansa granted the application and discharged the accused persons.

“In line with your application to discontinue the matter under Section 88 (a) of the Criminal Procedures, I grant it accordingly and the accused are discharged forthwith,” she ruled.

And speaking after the ruling, NGOCC Programs Manager Chilufya Siwale called upon the police to be professional in their work and desist from abusing their powers.

“We welcome the move to discontinue the matter because there was no case in the first place. The Police should be professional in their work and desist from abusing their power,” she said.

Mwanza and her juvenile niece were last month, discharged of the offence of idle and disorderly conduct in connection with how the 28 year-old auntie allegedly responded to a police officer over her niece’s ‘indecent dressing’, but had remained in custody for allegedly damaging police padlocks.