Partner Siabutuba, chairperson of Zitukule Self Help Consortium, has filed a lawsuit against the Attorney General, seeking damages for physical harm, psychological distress, and financial loss resulting from his unlawful arrest and detention in March 2021.
Siabutuba alleges that he was falsely accused of working with President Hakainde Hichilema to abduct the Hatembo siblings, Pheluna and Milton.
He claims that police officers arrested him without a warrant or charge, detained him for six days, and subjected him to harsh interrogation.
The arrest occurred on March 19, 2021, when police officers visited Siabutuba’s office in Choma and handed him a police call-out indicating that he was needed at the police station the following day.
However, the officers returned shortly after and informed Siabutuba that he was required to appear before the officer in charge immediately.
Upon arriving at the police station, Siabutuba was interrogated and accused of working with President Hichilema and others to abduct the Hatembo siblings.
He denied the allegations, stating that he had no contact with the siblings, who were allegedly running away from Edith Nawakwi, a politician who was forcing them to appeal a court case involving a farm in Kalomo that they had lost against President Hichilema.
Siabutuba was detained at Choma police station for six days without charge. He claims to have been subjected to harsh interrogation and was eventually released unconditionally on March 16, 2021.
Siabutuba asserts that his arrest and detention were unlawful and that he has suffered physical harm, psychological distress, and financial loss as a result.
The lawsuit seeks a declaration that Siabutuba’s arrest and detention were illegal; compensation for false imprisonment, physical harm, psychological distress, and financial loss; damages for injury to his reputation and payment of costs associated with the lawsuit.