A detective inspector in Zambia is accused of drunkenly opening cells at a station to release 13 suspects on New Year’s Eve, including people who were accused of robbery and assault
Detective inspector Titus Phiri was arrested (stock image)(Image: AFP)
A drunk cop allegedly released 13 suspects from custody so he could go off for a boozy New Year’s shindig, sparking a manhunt.
Detective inspector Titus Phiri was arrested by police in Zambia. He is accused of releasing suspects from the Leonard Cheelo police station in the capital, Lusaka, the BBC reported.
The 13 who had been detained include people who were accused of burglary, robbery and assault. All of them remain on the run, according to reports from earlier today.
Mr Phiri allegedly ‘unlocked both the male and female cells and instructed the suspects to leave’ (stock image)
Mr Phiri, who has not commented on the allegations, was “in a state of intoxication” when he “forcibly seized cell keys” from constable Serah Banda, according to police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga. Hamoonga said: “Detective inspector Phiri unlocked both the male and female cells and instructed the suspects to leave, stating they were free to cross over into the new year…
“Out of the 15 suspects in custody, 13 escaped. Following the incident, the officer fled the scene.” Former presidential spokesperson and lawyer Dickson Jere wrote on Facebook that they “keep laughing” at the situation.
They said: “I keep laughing each time I picture the scenario – comical! But then, I remembered a similar incident in 1997.” In 1997, High Court Judge Kabazo Chanda ordered the release of 53 people who were suspects on New Year’s Eve.
Chanda, a controversial judge, released some people who were considered to be dangerous by police. The late judge had become irked that some of the suspects had been arrested long before – some in 1992 – but had still not appeared in court.
“Justice delayed, is justice denied,” he said at the time.
Lusaka is Zambia’s capital and its largest city, home to over 1.7million people. Zambia’s tourism website calls it a “boom town”. The website says: “New buildings are going up everywhere and many chain stores and shopping malls are springing up all over the sprawling suburbs…
“Lusaka is the glittering capital which still persuades rural Zambians to migrate to the city in search of jobs and dreams. Most people try to make an honest living selling their wares or services, always with a friendly smile.”
Zambia as a whole is home to over 20 million people. Its tourism website says it is “blessed with awe-inspiring natural wonders” and is “one of the safest countries in the world to visit”.
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