Police fail to intimidate Nakonde MP
By Adrian Mwanza
I DO NOT need to get permission from any one in order for me to meet my supporters as long as we are not committing any criminality, Nakonde Member of Parliament Lucas Simumba has told police.
Simumba was reacting to an attempt by armed police officers to stop a meeting he hosted on Tuesday on grounds that it was illegal.
He said the attempt to stop him was illegal and a testament that the police had received instructions from some political leaders.
“I don’t need to get permission from anyone to hold a meeting and there is no one putting on any party regalia,” Simumba said.
He said the police did not have powers to stop his meeting because there was no criminality involved.
Simumba stood his ground and said he was ready to be arrested by the police because he had not do anything wrong.
He said he and his team had not done anything wrong.
The meeting was very peaceful and no cadres were involved.
Simumba said the behaviour of the police was sinister.
It seemed the directive had come from the powers that be.
He said the people were ready to defy the police because they had not committed any wrong–doing.
But as tension mounted the police warned Simumba and his supporters not to continue with the meeting because it was illegal.
“I did not come here to arrest you but just to tell you that this meeting is illegal, and if you don’t want to listen then it is your fault,” he said.
The leader of the police said Simumba was supposed to get permission from the police to meet his supporters.
The unidentified police officer said times for campaigns had not yet arrived and it was “very wrong” to conduct such meetings.
But after a back and forth with Simumba and his cadres the frustrated police officers left the scene.
