POLICE PROBE KALUNGWISHI RADIO FRACAS
Police in Luapula Province are investigating an incident of Arson in which Kalungwishi FM Radio Station in Chief Mununga of Chiengi District was set ablaze by unknown criminals in the early hours of today around 01:00 hours.
Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo says officers who rushed to the scene found three bottles and a 20 litre container containing some petrol which is suspected to have been used to ignite the fire which burnt an air conditioner and a Transmission cable.
Mrs. Katongo says members of the public who quickly responded to the call of distress managed to extinguish the fire and prevented it from spreading to other parts of the building.
She told ZNBC news in a statement that a security guard, Lewis Mwila aged 54 who was on duty at the time of the incident, spotted three criminals at the radio station carrying with them bottles of petrol and begun spilling it around the building before one of them set it ablaze.
Mrs. Katongo said police have instituted investigations with a view of arresting the criminals behind the crime.
Meanwhile, PF Media Director Antonio Mwanza has accused cadres from a named opposition political party of embarking on a violent rampage.
Mr. Mwanza said the same opposition cadres allegedly assaulted several PF members who are currently nursing wounds.
And the Independent Broadcasting Authority -IBA- Board has strongly condemned the burning of Kalungwishi Radio Station.
The IBA Board believes that an act of arson on Kalungwishi Radio is a serious criminal offence and a grave infringement on media freedom and the public’s right to information.
IBA Director General Josephine Mapoma says the Board is disturbed that burning of Kalungwishi Radio Station is a direct threat on the safety of journalists because it could have resulted in death of members of staff.
Ms. Mapoma says the IBA Board remains hopeful that the law enforcement agencies will bring the perpetrators of the heinous act to justice and act as a deterrent to the would-be offenders.
She has also urged all members of the public to follow the laid down procedure of registering their grievances about any broadcast material they are aggrieved with as opposed to engaging in acts of criminality and violence.
This is contained in a statement to ZNBC News.
