NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili says President Edgar Lungu is smelling defeat and he wants him out of the way ahead of the 2021 elections.

Yesterday, Luanshya police summoned Kambwili for questioning. According to the call out which was signed by Superintendent Fredrick Kabungo, the former Roan PF member of parliament was expected at Luanshya Police Station at 09:00 hours.

And there was heavy police presence in Luanshya yesterday, with armed police officers surrounding Kambwili’s house around 16:00 hours.

But in an interview, Kambwili said President Lungu had smelt defeat.

“President Lungu is smelling defeat in 2021 and he wants me out of the way. He is the one who is sending them (police) to do what they are doing. He is the one behind it,” Kambwili said.

He vowed that he would not be intimidated, no matter how many times he was arrested.

“I don’t know what the call out is about but you can see that they intend to arrest me on tramped up charges because they have brought the entire Kamfinsa here, they’ve blocked all the roads leading to the police station. We don’t know what exactly it is but it is surprising because as we are talking right now, our people who were axed and have come out of the hospital today are at Mpatamatu police station to go and follow up on the arrest of Bowman Lusambo and all the people that axed them. They have not summoned them, they have not done anything on the docket, but they are quick to summon me and bring the entire Kamfinsa Police because usually when they want to arrest me, they bring the entire police and block all the roads and that’s what they have done,” Kambwili said.

“All they want to do is to intimidate me and secondly, they have been instructed to detain me because I am supposed to be on the Oxygen of Democracy so that I don’t appear and we have told them that all my lawyers are in court and there’s no way I can come there. We have to wait until the lawyers come out of court and give me the date when they will be available.”

Kambwili wondered why police had summoned him, when none of the PF cadres who were threatening to kill him had been arrested.

“They haven’t arrested them, they haven’t even summoned them, but they are quick to call me so that they can go and arrest me. I don’t know where this country is going but good luck to them. Like I have said, I can be arrested a million times, I will not be scared. Even now, if they want to arrest me on tramped up charges, look, this idea of wasting tax payer’s money must come to an end and someone must be fired! They arrested me over speaking over AVIC and it ended up in a nolle. Today again they want to arrest me on tramped up charges and they have been instructed, no police bond, and that they shouldn’t send me to court until after a week the way they did to Mwaliteta. Friendly forces from police have told me that that is what they are planning to do,” said Kambwili.

By press time, police had surrounded Kambwili’s Luanshya home but his whereabouts were unknown.

Copperbelt Police Commissioner Charity Katanga was unavailable for comment.