Africa-Press – Zambia. Economic and Equity Party (EEP) controversial President Chilufya Tayali has accused the Police of torturing him during his recent detention in Lusaka.
And Mr. Tayali has vowed that he is more resolved to continue speaking out on injustices, oppression and dictatorship of President Hakainde Hichilema’s Government. The constitution prohibits cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; however, no law addresses torture specifically in Zambia.
Acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment are a gross violation of human rights and absolutely prohibited and punishable under international human rights law.
Mr. Tayali has just been released from police custody after being detained for four days on charges of bringing the name of President Hakainde Hichilema into disrepute.
The EEP leader was brutally arrested on Sunday by police after he went on facebook live to verbally attack President Hichilema and the government. Upon release from police detention, Mr. Tayali said he was badly beaten by one of the most senior officers at Police Headquarters.
He claimed Mwala Yuyi, senior assistant commissioner of police and intelligence officer tortured him at the Police Headquarters in Lusaka. Mr. Tayali narrated that Mr. Mwala allegedly beat me mercilessly and incited his junior officer to join in the beating.
“Mother Mary saved me from the brutality of officer no. 2033 Mwala Yuyi. I want to tell my story of how badly I was beaten by one of the most senior officers at Force (Service) Headquarters in Room 45. According to him, he believes he is invisible and I could never identify him, because he was dead wrong, because he is a public officer and I take note of senior public officers like him.He was recently (In October 2022) promoted and given huge responsibilities. The notice of his promotion read as follows: No. 2033 Mr. Mwala Yuyi, senior assistant commissioner of police, service police intelligence officer, police service headquarters made to act as deputy commissioner of police and further appointed director, criminal investigations department, police service headquarters,” Mr. Tayali posted on facebook.
“As you can see, these are huge responsibilities so I took interest to check his background, not knowing that God was preparing me for the 13th November, 2022 when this man would come face to face with me, and he asked me, “Do you know me?. I did not respond to him, because I saw that he is not a reasonable man to engage with, which made him more comfortable to hit me as he pleaded. Surprisingly, he once served in Sudan on a peace mission, as can be seen by the beret and one would have thought he would be a professional and well behaved senior officer. In this operation, to forcibly arrest me, he was fully in-charge as Director of Criminal Investigations Department,” Mr. Tayali stated.
“He beat me mercilessly and incited his junior officer to join me but only a few succumbed to his unprofessional and brutal leading orders. I am actually worried that some of those junior orders will be punished for not joining him in the brutal party. I don’t know if that is what he learnt on his peace mission in Sudan.After beating me up, I was made to lay flat in a Toyota Hilux which they used to come and pick me up at home. It is also behind us in the picture when I was released at Kabwata Police Station. I could not tell where they were taking me, but I thought I was going to one of the secret locations I have heard (like in the case of Shabby Chilekwa) where they torture people,” he explained.
Mr. Tayali explained the ordeal he went through after his arrest on Sunday night while describing how he was slapped severally on his face and in the head.
“I was distressed, helpless and alone as my lawyers were chased away. I felt so vulnerable in the thick of the night as the Van drove around not knowing where I was or going and my fate. As a strong Catholic believer, I knew there was nothing I could do; I am at the mercy of this brutal man, who slapped me severally on my face and in the head, so I just started praying to Mother Mary. The moment I started praying, I became at peace and ready for anything. We drove for about 20 minutes and made two stops without me knowing where we were and what the police officers were looking for. Finally we ended up at Chilanga Police Station and I would only tell where we were after asking inmates who were packed like rotten bags of shelled maize. I spent the night at Chilanga, then moved to Musamba Police post within Chilanga district, then transferred to Ridgeway Police Post and I was released from Kabwata Police Station,” Mr. Tayali said.
Mr. Tayali has vowed that he is more resolved to continue speaking out on injustices, oppression and dictatorship of President Hakainde Hichilema’s Government.
“I will talk more later at 20:00hrs if (I will not be arrested again), for now, I just wanted to share my faith in how Mary saved me from this brutal man called Mwala Yuyi from Force Headquarters and we are pursuing the matter with my lawyers. This morning I went to Church and spent time in prayers, I am more resolved to continue speaking out (as I will do at 20:00hrs) on wrong things this Govt is going, as well as speak for the injustices, oppression and dictatorship of President Hichilema’s Govt,” he stated.
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