Nakacinda arrest over contaminated mealie-meal claim wrong-Witness
By Charles Musonda
IT is wrong to arrest those who speak against feeding people with contaminated mealie-meal, a state witness has told the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court.
Gift Chilando, a Zambia Police Service digital forensic analyst, said this during cross-examination in the trial of Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Raphael Nakacinda, who is charged with seditious practices before magistrate Mwandu Sakala.
“I am not aware of what is contained in the indictment. I don’t remember when the accused person [Nakacinda] was arrested,” Chilando said in response to defence lawyer Chongola Maluza.
Maluza asked Chilando to read the indictment, which indicated that Nakacinda was arrested on September 2, 2024.
He said on September 11, 2024, he received a request for forensic examination, extraction and preservation of a Facebook video in which Nakacinda accused the United Party for National Development (UPND) government of committing genocide by distributing mealie-meal contaminated with aflatoxins.
Chilando said he acted on the request upon receiving it from a police officer who was dealing with investigations.
He said he conducted his analysis as requested after Nakacinda had already been arrested.
He said it was not correct to state that it was safe to feed people with contaminated mealie – meal.
Trial continues on May 4, 2026.
