By NCHIMUNYA MIYOBA
A-37-year-old Taxi driver of Chililambombwe has testified how he was brutally beaten and left unconsciousness while in police custody in case in which he is jointly charged with Kitwe business man Daniel Makina for allegedly stealing copper cathodes worth K1.8 Million.
When the matter came up in the Kitwe’s High Court today for continued defence Chilufya Chipili told the court that the police officers from the anti-robbery unit in Kitwe brutally beat him up and he lost consciousness.
Chipili who is jointly charged with Makina testified that on August 28, 2018 he was transferred from Chililambombwe central police to Kitwe where he was tortured and beaten up by Mr Mukelebai and Mr Banda and another Mr Banda all officers from the anti-robbery unit in Kitwe.
Chipili narrated that he was severely beaten by the officers and only found himself waking up at Kitwe Teaching Hospital around 22:00 hrs.
He said he was later discharged that night and taken to Ndeke Police station where he was held for a week and later moved to Kitwe Central Police.
Chipili said after three weeks at Kitwe Central Police he was taken to the anti-robbery section by Mr Mukelebai where he found the lorry boy and the driver of the truck that had copper cathodes.
“Mr Mukelebai then introduced him to the two persons as the person who stole the copper. He exposed me to the witnesses the lorry boy and the driver before the identification parade.
“During the identification parade an armed police officer told me not to move or he will shoot me. After the identification parade I was taken by Mr Mukelebai to the officer where I was beaten up again and taken back to Central Police holding cells. Later I was moved to Wusakile police again taken to Central Police where I met Mr Makina for the first time,” he narrated.
Daniel Makina Chinyama, 35 who was also 2016 Chimwemwe Constituency Aspiring Candidate and a Chililabombwe taxi driver Chipili Chilufya 32, are jointly with aggravated robbery.
Particulars of the offence are that on August 28, last year Chilufya Chipili and Daniel Makina Chinyama in Kitwe jointly whilst acting together with other persons unknown while armed with offensive weapons namely Pistols did steal Copper cathode valued at K1.8 million.
And at the time or after committing the offence duo did used or threaten to use violence on Rajab Rashid Magwila.
The matter has since been adjourned to tomorrow for continued defence.
