A Zambian police officer, reportedly intoxicated, released 13 detainees to ring in the New Year, leading to a search for the escaped individuals.
According to the BBC, Inspector Titus Phiri allegedly seized the cell keys from Constable Serah Banda at the Leonard Cheelo police station in Lusaka on New Year’s Eve, enabling the release of detainees charged with offenses such as assault, robbery, and burglary.
Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga described the incident, stating, “In a state of intoxication, [Phiri] forcibly took the cell keys… unlocked both the male and female cells, and told the suspects they were free to celebrate the arrival of the new year.”
After the escape of 13 out of the 15 detainees, Phiri also absconded from the station. He has not yet responded to the allegations.
This bizarre event draws comparisons to a 1997 incident when the late High Court Judge Kabazo Chanda ordered the release of 53 detainees, criticizing the lengthy detention of individuals, some held since 1992, without trial. He famously stated, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
Commenting on the recent incident, lawyer and former presidential spokesperson Dickson Jere shared on Facebook, “I can’t help but laugh every time I picture the scene—it’s comical! But then I remembered a similar event in 1997.”
