The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), working in conjunction with Police in Lusaka yesterday arrested Roan PF member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili and charged him with two counts of obtaining pecuniary advantage and 37 more of being in possession of money reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.

And Hakainde Hichilema has called on Zambians to stand up and fight the PF dictatorial PF regime.

Kambwili arrived at Woodlands Police Station at exactly 09:10 hours for interviews and was later arrested and detained after officers rejected a medical report presented by his lawyers.

One of Kambwili’s lawyers Keith Mweemba, explained to journalists that his client would appear in Court today for his 39 charges, adding that he had been denied bail.

“He has been charged with 39 criminal offences. Obtaining pecuniary advantage, two counts, contrary to section 309 (A) of the penal code, cap 27 of the laws of Zambia. Then 37 counts of being in possession of property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime. You have seen for yourselves he’s in custody so he hasn’t been given police bond despite having sureties and they didn’t even ask but of course we had provided two sureties. We tried to persuade them that he’s a patient and we gave them medical records and they said they would get back to us. He will appear in court tomorrow (today) and they said they will consider revisiting their decision and release him later in the day but we don’t know, we have been told he will be taken to court,” Mweemba explained.

Asked why officers had rejected Kambwili’s medical report claiming it was fake, Mweemba insisted that the document presented was correct and that officers could go and verify their information with UTH if they so wished.

“I don’t think I can comment on that, the best person to answer that is a Doctor but there is nothing unauthentic about the document. Those are authentic documents, if anyone has an got an issue with that let them challenge it and them we shall follow the normal procedures. Those are correct documents, if you look at the date stamp. Why should people just choose to look at a mistake on the date when the official date is there with the correct date. They can go to UTH and verify,” said Mweemba.

Further, ACC Corporate Affairs Officer Jonathan Siame told journalists in a separate interview that there were good reasons why officers rejected Kambwili’s medical report and denied him bail.

“You are aware that ACC has been conducting investigations into allegations of corruption involving Mr Chishimba Kambwili and today we have arrested him and charged him with two counts of obtaining pecuniary advantage and a further 37 counts of being in possession of properties suspected to be proceeds of crime. So we have detained Mr Kambwili and he’s due to appear in court tomorrow (today). I am sure there is a very good reason why that decision was made, but it’s not for me here to say that this is the reason. I can just tell you that that is the decision that has been arrived at for a good reason, I am certain of that but he will appear in court tomorrow (today) and of course these offences were committed in his capacity as public office holder, that is a member of parliament for Roan Constituency,” said Siame.

Meanwhile, UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema, who visited Kambwili along with other members of his party shortly after his detention, called on Zambians to get together and fight the dictatorial PF regime.

Hichilema insisted that Kambwili needed to be released so that he could continue receiving medical attention, as he was still a sick person.

“He needs to go home and be able to get medical attention at the clinic or at home. And when the court process commences, he will go to court. We don’t have to treat each other like thugs, that’s unacceptable and that’s why we want to bring back the rule of law. This is why we need leadership, there is no leadership in this country. In fact there is negative leadership, there is not even zero leadership. It’s negative leadership and that’s why it’s affecting people. We should stop this. Citizens must come together and fight for our freedoms. We can’t allow a few chaps to take away our fundamental rights, freedoms and liberties, we cannot do that,” said Hichilema.

“And this issue of arresting each other in this manner should come to an end. My appeal to the people of Zambia, please open your eyes and ears, the country is decaying, it’s rotting under this brutal PF leadership. And I said this before ‘today they are doing this to HH, tomorrow it will be you’. Dictators don’t choose who to brutalise, they only believe in themselves and nobody else. We as a country should unite, come together, unity of purpose to get our independence and we should now unite to take out dictators from leadership.”