A POLICE officer has testified that suspected UPND cadres were apprehended after refusing to disperse as they were found to be behaving in a disorderly manner by throwing stones at police officers and disturbing the flow of traffic.

The officer was testifying in a matter in which nine UPND sympathisers are charged with idle and disorderly conduct.

The accused persons in this matter are; Eddy Nawa, a driver of Kabwata Cultural village; Sydney Ngulube of Bauleni; John Wilima of Zanimuone; Nelson Banda of Kabanana; Willington Mwanza; Henry Mutale of Bauleni; Levy Malilwa of Matero ; John Kashikoto and Nicholas Matongo

The nine are alleged to have on December 23, 2020 in Lusaka, jointly and whilst acting together conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of peace at a public place namely, along Independence Avenue.

When the matter came up before Magistrate Felix Kaoma, Monday, detective inspector Eugene Lukonde of Kabwata Police Station testified that the accused were apprehended on Independence Avenue between 09:00 and 10:00hours.

“The suspected UPND cadres were apprehended for refusing to disperse. They were behaving in a disorderly manner by throwing stones at police officers and disturbing the flow of traffic,” he said.

Lukonde said the accused were on Independence Avenue to give solidarity to their president Hakainde Hichilema who was being questioned at Police Headquarters.

He said after interviewing the accused persons, they never gave him a satisfactory answer in connection with the allegations.

“I later charged and arrested them for conduct likely to cause breach of peace,” said Lukonde.

Earlier, Sergeant Patrick Mawere said he apprehended four of the accused persons near Intercontinental Hotel.

But during cross examination, the defence put it to Mawere that another police officer had earlier told the court that the accused were arrested from a different area and not the hotel.

Further asked if the earlier witness told the court the truth, Mawere, of Lusaka division police station, responded in the affirmative, but the defence told him that his response entails that he had lied to the court on the location of the arrest.

The State has since closed its case and the matter comes up April 28, 2021 for ruling on case or no case to answer.