Zambian authorities Wednesday arrested former Information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha for allegedly “sanctioning slanderous publications” and charged him with abuse of office.
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha allegedly sanctioned a “defamatory publication and a series of television documentaries” prior to the September 2011 general election targeting incumbent President Michael Sata.
Lt-Gen Shikapwasha was arrested along with a freelance documentary producer Chanda Chimba and a former managing director of the state-owned daily The Zambia Daily Mail, Davies Mataka.
Another newspaper proprietor, Ngande Mwanajiti, was also arrested.
The four were detained before they were released on police bond.
“Former Information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha and freelance journalist Chanda Chimba have been arrested and charged by the Government Joint Investigations Team in Lusaka,” probe team spokesperson Namukolo Kasumpa told reporters late Wednesday.
“Shikapwasha has been charged with two counts of abuse of office of authority contrary to section 99 sub-section 1 of the penal code of the laws of Zambia.
“Mr Chimba is on the other hand facing two counts of unlawful printing and publication of property suspected of being proceeds of crime contrary to the laws of Zambia,” she said.
The probe team also arrested and charged former Zambia Daily Mail deputy managing director Mataka and consultant Mwanajiti.
“The two have been jointly charged for corrupt acquisition of public property and revenue contrary to the laws of Zambia.
The money was channelled to the unlawful production and printing of a private newspaper called The Zambian which was not registered with the director of the National Archives,” she said.
On Tuesday the opposition Movement for Multi-Party democracy (MMD) leader Nevers Mumba was arrested for corruption-related offences and is appearing in court.
President Sata’s one-year rule has been replete with arrests of former leaders of the ex-ruling party Movement for Multi-party Democracy on various charges.
Analysts have pointed out that the arrests are politically motivated and have nothing to do with graft.
Agencies
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