DAVIES Mwila has told the Lusaka High Court that DEC has continued investigating the source of PF campaign funds and even gone further to summon media houses which sold media time to the party during campaigns.

Mwila, who is former PF secretary general, has further submitted that the Drug Enforcement Commission has also threatened PF associates who were interacting with the party.

In this matter, the Patriotic Front, through its former secretary general, Davies Mwila, sued the state claiming damages over the alleged intimidation and harassment of its members.

PF is seeking a declaratory order declaring that the party cannot be compelled to disclose its source of funds used in the 2021 general elections as well as a declaration that the funding of the 2021 general elections is not money laundering.

The party is further claiming damages for intimidating and harassing its members, damages for misrepresentation and defamation of character as well as damages for discrimination.

Mwila cited the Attorney General as the defendant.

DEC had earlier asked the court to dismiss the matter, arguing that investigative authorities should be allowed to carry out their statutory duties without being curtailed by frivolous civil proceedings such as the one before court.

But in reply to DEC’s submissions, Mwila submitted that he was personally summoned and interrogated by the commission.

He added that PF member Antonio Mwanza was also summoned and interrogated on the source of campaign funds and how the media houses were paid for the services rendered to the party during campaigns.

Mwila stated that DEC went further to also interrogate a lawyer by the name of Anna Mwitwa on the payments made to media houses which had sold broadcasting time to PF during the 2021 campaigns.

“The plaintiff shall aver and prove at trial that the defendant has continued to investigate the source of campaign funds and has threatened the plaintiff’s associates who are interacting with the party. The plaintiff shall prove with written documents that the defendant has even gone a step further to summon media houses that were selling media time to the party during the 2021 campaigns,” he submitted.

Mwila stated that former president Edgar Lungu’s Aide De Camp Chisanga Chanda was arrested on February 4, 2022 by a member of DEC, being Zambia police, and was interrogated on among other things, the source of campaign vehicles which were used during the 2021 campaigns.