Discipline female police officer’A FEMALE police officer, who assaulted a traffic offender in Livingstone after he refused to bribe her, must be disciplined, the Police Public Complaints Authority (PPCA) has recommended.
PPCA chairperson James Mwanakatwe announced the recommendation after a two day public complaint hearing for both parties in Livingstone recently.
A Livingstone taxi driver was alleged to have abducted the named female police officer after she instructed the taxi driver to drive to the police station. The taxi driver defied the orders and sped in a different direction while allegedly threatening her with death.
But it was later established that the police officer allegedly solicited K80,000 as a bribe for her to drop the traffic offences against the offender.
According to a formal letter of complaint and findings of the PPCA, the police officer hit the taxi driver with a glass bottle in the head after he refused to pay the bribe.
“It is not in dispute that the complainant had committed some traffic offences. We have found that the evidence of the complainant was more credible than that of the respondent (police officer). The respondent had claimed that the complainant had threatened to kill her. The authority found no evidence to support the respondent’s defence,” Mr Mwanakatwe said.
“We have, therefore, found that the complaint before the authority has merit. The evidence in our record shows that it was in fact the respondent who was the aggressor. There was nothing that the complainant did to justify that act of violence. It is clear by the evidence on record that an offence was committed by the respondent,” he said.
Mr Mwanakatwe s urged police officers in the country to observe and respect human rights while in the execution of their duties.
And the PPCA has directed Livingstone police traffic section to track down and fine an offender who has not paid an admission of guilt fine for an offence he committed about three years ago.
This follows a complaint by a member of the public against police inaction by allowing the culprit to go scot-free.
This is in a matter where a Livingstone resident Trywell Tembo, 70, reported a named police officer for not collecting a fine imposed on the offender by the police.
“It is unfortunate that police had adopted a laissez-fare attitude in handling this matter and Mr Tembo as a citizen has the right to report cases and offences to the police which he comes across. As police you have to treat all offences seriously and take appropriate action in accordance with the law. We shall in that vein submit our findings and recommendations to the Inspector General of Police,” He said.
Mr Mwanakatwe said the offender must be located and fined or face possible prosecution.
The PPCA a Zambia Police Service ‘watchdog’ are conducting public complaints hearing against inappropriate police action and inaction in Southern Province.
This is in accordance with the authority’s mandate by an Act of Parliament to help promote good governance in the country.
This is further in tandem with President Sata’s resolve to revive and restructure police operations in the country.
Mr Mwanakatwe is in the company of his vice Emmanuel Chileshe and acting executive secretary Maureen Chilende. Others are PPCA commissioners James Nyambaza, Geoffrey Samusungwa and Simasiku Kalumiana.
The authority has so far conducted hearings of some members of the public against some police officers in Livingstone, Kalomo, Choma and Namwala.
And speaking during a courtesy call to the Southern provincial administration and commanding officer Brenda Muntemba, Mr Mwanakatwe said the PPCA should not be perceived by police officers as an institution interfering with their core duties.
He said the authority’s primary concern is to ensure that police act professionally in maintaining law and order.
“The police must at all times act professionally in the execution of their duties by upholding high ethical standards. It is only through this, public confidence in the police will be enhanced thereby making their work easier,” Mr Mwanakatwe said.
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