The Lusaka High Court has sentenced a police officer identified as Pythius Mvula of Matero North in Lusaka to five years imprisonment with hard labour after convicting him of manslaughter contrary to Section 199 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Mvula had jointly been charged with fellow police officer Stephen Chirwa of Emasdale and Misheck Zulu of Chipata Compound in connection with the death of a suspect who was in police custody.
However, the prosecution later discontinued proceedings against the two accused persons after entering a nolle prosequi.
In mitigation, Mvula pleaded for leniency, saying he was remorseful and regretted that his actions led to the death of the deceased.
He told the court that the incident had heavily weighed on him and that he never had the opportunity to apologise to the deceased’s family after being taken into custody.
The 27-year-old further told the court that he was a first offender, had only worked as a police officer for seven months at the time and that he was a family man with two young children.
But High Court Judge Mwaka Ngoma says the offence was serious because the deceased was beaten while already in police custody until he became unconscious.
The Judge has stressed that no one, including police officers, is allowed to take the law into their own hands.
Mvula has since been sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labour.
By Josphat Hamakala
