Police formally charge Mwamba, Luchinde of forgery, false publication

Police in Lusaka have formally charged Patriotic Front (PF) Deputy Information and Publicity Chairperson Emmanuel Mwamba and Andy Luchinde on two counts of forgery and three counts of publication of information.

Police Assistant Public Relations Officer, Godfrey Chilabi, confirmed in a statement issued Lusaka on Saturday the arrest of Mr. Mwamba and Mr. Luchinde who were this week detained at Emmasdale Police Station.

Chilabi said Mwamba and Luchinde have been released on police bond and will appear in court soon.

He said the duo had been arrested for offenses contrary to Section 342 of the Penal Code Chapter 88 of the Laws of Zambia and three counts of publication of information contrary to Section 54 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No. 2 of 2021.

“In the counts of forgery, it is alleged that Mr. Mwamba, while acting together with Andy Luchinde and other unknown persons, did forge a document namely ‘Presidential Directive Letter,’ purporting that the Republican President did direct the Director General of Zambia Security and Intelligence Services to contain the activities of Archbishop Alick Banda,” Chilabi said.

He said that this occurred on June 8, 2023 in Lusaka.

Chilabi said secondly, it is alleged that on June 8, 2023 Mr. Mwamba, jointly and while acting together with Mr. Luchinde and other unknown persons, did forge a document namely ‘Request Letter,’ purporting that the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security Joseph Akafumba did request the Secretary to the Cabinet at the Cabinet Office to petition the Vatican through the Apostolic Nuncio in Lusaka regarding the activities of Archbishop Alick Banda.

He said in the counts of publication of information contrary to Section 54 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No. 2 of 2021, it is alleged that on June 8, 2023, Mr. Mwamba, jointly and while acting together with Mr. Luchinde and other unknown persons, with intent to compromise the safety and security of the Republican President did publish a letter in the picture purporting to have been signed by the Republican President.

Chilabi said the letter was directing the Director General of the Zambia Security and Intelligence Service to contain the influence of Archbishop Alick Banda over the Roman Catholic Church on Government Institutions and other quasi-government institutions using a computer system on the Facebook pages known as Patriotic Front (PF) and Grindstone Television Zambia.

“In a similar count, it is alleged that on June 8, 2023, in Lusaka, Mr. Mwamba, jointly and while acting together with Mr. Luchinde and other unknown persons, with intent to compromise the safety and security of Mr. Akafumba, did publish a request letter in the picture purporting that Mr. Akafumba wrote a letter to the Secretary to the Cabinet requesting to petition the Vatican through the Apostolic Nuncio in Lusaka regarding the activities of Archbishop Alick Banda, using a computer system on the Face book pages of the Patriotic Front (PF) and Grindstone Television Zambia,” he said.

Chilabi said in another charge of publication of information contrary to Section 54 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No. 2 of 2021, it is alleged that Mr. Mwamba, jointly and while acting together with Mr. Luchinde and other unknown persons, with intent to compromise the safety and security of Batuke Imenda, Norman Chipakupaku, Wallace Chakawa, and Clayson Hamasaka, did publish an email printout purporting that Mr. Chakawa, Private Secretary-State House, wrote and sent an email to Mr. Hamasaka, which was forwarded to Mr. Imenda and Mr. Chipakupaku, directing him to isolate Archbishop Alick Banda.

He said Archbishop Mpundu was to be isolated together EMERITUS Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu with his organisation called Our Civic Duty Association (OCiDA) and other unknown Catholic church priests using a computer system on the Face book pages known as Patriotic front (PF) and the Grindstone Television Zambia.

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