Government refuted and described as fictitious and malicious stories that its spent U$ 700,000 to purchase one thousand bicycles for the Zambia Police Service.
Pictures showing a female police officer on one of the new trendy bicycles has been doing rounds on social media with some bloggers speculating that government spent US$ 700 on each bicycle.
The Ministry of Home Affairs Spokesman Nephas Chifuta said the allegations are meant to mislead Zambians.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs wishes to refute media speculations that Government has bought one thousand bicycles at a cost of U$ 700,000 breaking the cost of one bicycle to U$ 700.00 which is equivalent to K700.000 as fictitious, malicious and meant to mislead Zambians,” he said.
Mr Chifuta said the accurate information is that these bicycles were a donation by the Government of Japan to the Zambia Police Service to facilitate policing in places that cannot be accessed using motor vehicles.
He said the Inspector General of Police Mr Kaoma Kanganja, after the donation directed that the bicycles be distributed to all provinces under the Community Services Directorate to enable Victim Unit officers and other specialized units carry out sensitization programmes.”
“The allegation that Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo has confirmed on behalf of Government to have bought the bicycles for the Police Service, is just the imagination of the author and the cost of the bicycles does not exist,” he said.
