A police officer in Zambia, reportedly drunk, set free 13 suspects on New Year’s Eve to mark the celebration, leading to a search for the escapees.
Inspector Titus Phiri, who worked at Leonard Cheelo Police Station in Lusaka, allegedly took keys from Constable Serah Banda and opened the cells. The released suspects were being held for crimes like robbery, assault, and burglary.
Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga explained the event, saying, “In a state of intoxication, [Phiri] forcibly seized cell keys… unlocked both the male and female cells, and instructed the suspects to leave, stating they were free to cross over into the new year.”
Out of the 15 detainees, 13 escaped, while Inspector Phiri disappeared soon after. Authorities are yet to locate him, and he has not responded to the claims.
This incident reminded many of a similar case in 1997 when Judge Kabazo Chanda ordered the release of 53 detainees who had been held for years without trial. The judge had said, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
Lawyer Dickson Jere, a former presidential spokesperson, shared his thoughts on social media, describing the situation as both humourous and serious. “I keep laughing each time I picture the scenario – comical! But then, I remembered a similar incident in 1997,” he wrote.
