PF’s Mwamba drags Attorney-General to court over police refusal to return confiscated phones

Emmanuel Mwamba, the Patriotic Front (PF) faction Publicity and Information Chairperson, has taken the Attorney-General to court over the police’s refusal to return his two confiscated phones.

In a petition filed in the Lusaka High Court, Mwamba claims that on May 27, 2024, he and other political leaders visited Petauke Central Member of Parliament, Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda, at Medland Private Hospital, where they encountered a heavy police presence led by Lusaka Province Police Commissioner Creto Kaanza.

He alleged the police were attempting to forcibly remove Banda from the hospital against his and his family’s wishes.

During the chaos, Mwamba and others began filming the incident on their mobile devices, but the police confiscated their phones without justification.

While others had their devices returned after deleting the footage, Mwamba’s phones remain withheld.

His legal representative, Makebi Zulu, wrote to the Inspector-General of Police and Lusaka Central Division on May 31, demanding the return of the confiscated phones, but the letter has gone unanswered.

Mwamba is seeking a declaration that his rights to property and privacy were violated and that the police’s actions were discriminatory and unlawful.

He is also seeking an order for the immediate return of his phones, reimbursement for costs incurred, and damages for emotional distress and inconvenience caused.

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