In this audio shared by police officers in Lusaka, Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja is heard giving instructions to the Lusaka Division Command to immediately transfer and fire an erring police officer, captured having an altercation with an Indian national.
Earlier on Monday, a video went viral on social media in which a Traffic Police Constable identified as Brian Nkhoma was seen having a quarrel in a motor vehicle driven by an indian national. When the officer noticed that he was being filmed, he got enrages and attempted to beat the motorist after failing to confiscate the camera phone.
Later in the evening, the Inspector General transmitted a message on the Police Radio to all units, directing that the Traffic officer in question must immediately be banished to Shang’ombo, one of Zambia’s remotest district in the outskirts of Western Province.
“So you see how the IG has reacted so swiftly over this officer who was having an argument with that man. Just because the person believed to be a victim is a foreigner, this officer will lose his job. He (Inspector General) is supposed to order an investigation to find out what happened but he has gone straight to recommend a transfer and dismissal. This is unfair. What about those who killed the UNZA student (Vespers Shimuzhila)? What has the IG done about the officers who killed a Zambian during that riot? Nothing, but the whole police command is shaking to protect a foreigner,” said a police officer who shared the recorded Radio Message on conditions of anonymity.
“And you the journalists must ask the IG, because he is also punishing this officer by sending him to Shang’ombo. So it’s like he is saying Shang’ombo District is for condemned officers. What is about those other officers who were transferred there without committing an offence? Unless he tells you that he was drunk when giving those orders, which I suspect he was; otherwise he was not making sense and he was being emotional without facts at hand.”
In the same audio Kanganja was also heard saying his directive was a warning to other erring officers.
Take a listen:
IG: …Make sure that that officer is transferred to Shang’ombo with immediate effect. Prepare a truck, that officer must move, How do you read Delta 1?
Receiver: 001 Sir, reading you fine. Confirm sir!
IG: Roja Delta 1, this constable Brian Ngoma or Nkhoma, he must go immediately. He is tarnishing the image of the police. We can’t condone such nonsense.
Receiver: Roja sir! Your message all received sir! Delivering the same to 100, confirm sir!
IG: Romeo, this must be a warning to all officers involved in such activities. We are going to deal with them.
Receiver: Roja sir and received, confirm sir!
IG: Confirmed delta! Standing by!
Meanwhile the police sources said the traffic police officers who were caught taking bribes by Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo in August have returned to work under general duties without being charged and have since been transferred outside Lusaka Division.
In a statement yesterday, Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo the Police Service had charged said traffic officer with the offence of common assault.
“The traffic police officer that was involved in the altercation with a motorist in a video that has gone viral has been charged with the offence of common assault contrary section 247 of the laws of Zambia. Brief facts are that, when the victim, Devidas Rupnar, aged 40, reached the junction of Lusaka’s Kalambo Road and Freedom Way at about 14:00 hours yesterday, 12th November, 2018, he was approached by a traffic police officer identified as Constable Brian Nkhoma who ordered him to accompany him to the police. The officer is reported to have been infuriated and subsequently harassed the victim when he was requested to record his particulars so that he could report later as he was rushing to the office. The victim reported the matter to police and a statement was recorded. The officer is currently detained in police custody,” stated Katongo.
“Further, administrative action has been instituted in the matter in line with the recommendation by the Inspector General of Police to have the officer dismissed. Police officers are, therefore, reminded to always be professional and exercise restraint as they discharge their duties. Meanwhile, we wish to inform members of the public that there are fake Facebook accounts that have been opened using particulars and pictures of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kakoma Kanganja. Initial investigations have revealed that the accounts were opened from Nigeria. We, therefore, advise members of the public to avoid falling prey to these criminals who would want to defraud them using these fake accounts. Communication has been made to Facebook to have the accounts pulled down.”
