POLICE Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga says the owner of the US$800,000 which was allegedly stolen by Mutemwa Mutemwa SC and Detective Chief Inspector Mano Kayombo is being treated as a complainant for now.

When asked if the police were questioning Lloyd Chinjenge on the source of the money, which was in bags at the time of the alleged theft, Hamoonga said he was being treated as a complainant for now since the money stolen from him.

“There is no issue there because that person is a complainant now. From the statement, you can deduce that we are treating him as a complainant. That is why the lawyer and police officer have been arrested because the money is not there, because they have stolen the money for Chinjenge. The money has been stolen so even if you are going to press a charge, on what basis are we going to press the charges on? So, for now, Chinjenge is a complainant,” Hamoonga said.

Asked if Mutemwa SC was still in custody by press time, Hamoonga said he was not sure.

On Monday, Hamoonga said Mutemwa and detective inspector Mano Kayombo of Lusaka Central Police Station were on the run after stealing US$800,000 which was entrusted to them during a search.

In a statement, Hamoonga stated that Mutemwa junior disclosed under warn and caution that Mutemwa SC and Kayombo only got US$400,000 and not $800,000.

“Police in Lusaka are investigating a matter in which $800,000 is alleged to have been stolen by Mutemwa Mutemwa State Counsel, Mutemwa Mutemwa Junior both of Mutemwa Legal Practitioners and Detective Chief Inspector Mano Kayombo of Lusaka Central Police Station. The money is a property of Lloyd Chinjenge of House number 2415 Ibex Hill Lusaka. This occurred on 19th October 2021 in Salama Park area, Lusaka. Brief facts of the case are that on 19th October, 2021 police received information that Lloyd Chinjenge of the above address was in possession of an undisclosed amount of money on his premises believed to have been unlawfully obtained,” said Hamoonga.

“A search party of officers, among them Detective Chief Inspector Mano Kayombo was constituted to conduct searches on two premises belonging to Chinjenge in Salama Park and another in Ibex Hill. Both searches were witnessed by Mutemwa Jnr on behalf of Chinjenge. Not known to the rest of the search party, whilst the search was going on at the ibex hill premise, Mano and Mutemwa SC, who was instructed by Mutemwa Jnr to assist, went to the Salama Park residence and picked up two bags suspected to have contained the sought money from one of the motor vehicles belonging to Chinjenge on his instruction for safe custody. The incident was witnessed by an officer undercover who was left to keep vigil at the said residence. Police summoned Mutemwa Jnr and under warn and caution disclosed that Mutemwa SC and Mano got the money amounting to $400,000=00 and not $800,000=00. He has since been arrested for theft.”

Meanwhile, efforts to reach Chinjenge proved futile as his phone went unanswered.