NATIONAL Democratic Congress (NDC) leader Chishimba Kambwili says it was painful for him to be jailed over a crime he did not commit, charging that Magistrate David Simusamba lied in his judgement.

And Kambwili says Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya must apologise to late President Micheal Sata for bringing his name into disrepute.

Meanwhile, Kambwili says it is not right to treat people the way his wife and daughter were treated by police.

At a press briefing, Thursday, Kambwili charged that Magistrate Simusamba lied to justify sending him to prison and put him in bad light with the Judiciary.

“Honorable Simusamba lied in his judgement to justify sending me to prison and of course to just create an impression to other judicial officials that when I appeal they should look at me as a bad person who doesn’t respect the Judiciary. I felt this was very important for me to communicate…he is a danger to the Judiciary and he should be removed from the Judiciary,” Kambwili said.

“Ichamukalipefye chakuti (what pained him was that) I refused to give him money. You don’t behave like that. I refused. And again, third lie that he told on that judgement he said the accused person only applied for me to recuse myself from the case after I found him with a case to answer. That’s why I said this matter is of public interest. Go and check the records. When he just asked me for the money and started treating me badly so that he squeezes me for me to be scared to give him the money and we applied for him to recuse himself, he refused. He called the lawyers in chambers saying I don’t want to be biased, when you see me ukula kalipila (being aggressive) client mu court it’s just that I have got pressure from the government, just to show that ndebomba (I am working), so ngamwamona ndeba (when you see me being) aggressive with your client, it’s not with any malice or anything, I just have to show a picture that I am working. So forget about this thing of me recusing myself.”

He said it was an insult to say his son is fictitious.

“Saying my son is a fictitious person is an insult. When my son came to visit me in prison I said what are you doing here, you don’t exist, you are fictitious and my son dropped tears. I said somebody has declared you that you are fictitious. We will deal with issues of evidence in the High Court where we will appeal, this is not a court,” he said.

He said he was taking to court out of jealousy.

“Honourable Steve Chungu, MP Nkana constituency, Nathan Chanda, mayor Luanshya, Chilufya Tayali, I don’t know what title I can give him, or define that young man. Chilufya Tayali my younger brother, I want to thank you people together with Honorable Simusamba for taking me to court without committing an offence. Just sheer jealousy and nothing else. Posterity will judge you very harshly,” Kambwili said.

“Mwebantu efyo napitamo, kwati nshabombela chino chalo (The things I have gone through, like I never served this country). I have served this country faithfully, remember when I was minister, remember you people when we started PF from the start. Like I said nalikakilwepo (I was arrested) in the past mu MMD, nalipuminwapo, ukunguma kuli ba police kwati baleuma imbata but today I can be treated like this by one magistrate because I refused to give him K360,000 is unfortunate. But one man cannot destroy the judiciary, we need to sort out this one man. And by the way, I am not the first one he has treated like this,”

And Kambwili urged Siliya to apologise to Sata for accusing him of destroying the agricultural sector.

“Nakupapata Dora nafukama (I beg you Dora, I am kneeling down), respect Mr Sata. That position of Minister you are enjoying today, it’s because of our sweat, it’s because of Mr Sata and I will not sit behind you and watch you insult Mr Sata or cast aspersions over Mr Sata, baleba bepesha ati eba onawile (the are accusing him of having destroyed) agriculture, eba chitile reduce ama saka ya fertiliser, now agriculture is doing better,” he said.

“Apologise for the statement, I was in Parliament when they meant to reduce the number of fertiliser bags from 8 to 4 to put more villagers on FISP.”

Meanwhile, Kambwili condemned police for the manner in which they treated his wife and daughter.

“Let me say that the way my wife and daughter was treated, again I will say vengeance is for God, but you don’t treat people like that. Balya mwaledonsanya bakashi bandi, no mwana wandi uwabula umulandu (that woman you man-handled is my wife, and my daughter who has not committed any crime), decent people,” he said.

And Kambwili called on President Edgar Lungu to consider pardoning more prisoners to help decongest prisons.

“My experience in prison is a good experience for one who wants to be president because it will give you an insight of how those people who are in prison are living. And I want to appeal to my elder brother President Edgar Lungu, the 900 people that you pardoned, thank you very much but pardon some more. There is too much congestion in prison, bamo abantu tabalala, bekala fye (some people don’t sleep, they just sit) because there is no space. There is serious congestion and my appeal is that these petty crimes, aiba amataba, ka assault, please avoid sending such people to prison. The prisons are too congested. Secondly, the diet in prison is very bad, they eat beans with nothing in it. The might have erred against the law but they are human and also want a balanced diet. Because when you take people to prison you are saying we can look after you we can feed them, even vegetables are a problem. Fumyeniko nabambi (remove another) 10,000 prisoners,” said Kambwili.