. MPOMBO

By RABECCA CHIPANTA –
PEOPLE’S Democratic Party president George Mpombo was almost lynched yesterday by angry relatives of his son’s deceased girlfriend.
The girl is alleged to have been killed by Mr Mpombo’s son.
Mr Mpombo was yesterday summoned to appear for questioning at Ndola Central Police Station over the gun his son allegedly used to shoot dead his 17-year-old girlfriend.
Just after questioning by police officers, relatives of the murdered girl descended on Mr Mpombo demanding to know why he told officers that his son was 17 years old when earlier he said he was 22.
An exchange of words ensued and before the group could charge on Mr Mpombo, who was alone, police officers swiftly moved in and escorted the former Defence minister to the car park.
Mr Mpombo’s son, whose identity the police have withheld, is alleged to have used his father’s 9 x19 mm pistol to shoot his girlfriend.
Copperbelt Commissioner of Police Charity Katanga said in an interview yesterday that Mr Mpombo had not yet been charged although a warn-and-caution statement was recorded from him and investigations on why he failed to secure the firearm had been instituted.
Ms Katanga further said that Mr Mpombo’s son also attempted to stage an aggravated robbery at an SGC filling station in Ndola.
“Last Friday Mr Mpombo’s son tried to rob SGC filling station along Kabwe Road and was over- powered by security guards. During the struggle he dropped the magazine with three rounds of ammunition,” she said.
Ms Katanga said the magazine was later taken to the police station and is currently in police custody.
“Two days ago when Mpombo’s son was apprehended, he was found with a 9×19 mm pistol without a magazine. After further investigations, there are links that he is the one who dropped the magazine at the crime scene,” Ms Katanga said.
She said Mr Mpombo’s son was likely to be charged with more offences as the police awaited witnesses from the SGC filling station to identify him as the person who attempted to rob the filling station.
Ms Katanga said Mr Mpombo’s son admitted attempting to rob a filling station, but police were gathering evidence to come up with an appropriate charge.
Police officers were yesterday dispatched to Mr Mpombo’s farm in Chief Chiwala’s chiefdom in Masaiti District for further investigations.
Speaking to journalists after being questioned by Police, Mr Mpombo said his son committed a terrible crime and that the law should take its course.
He said the incident was one of the most difficult moments of his life and he could not hide that the crime committed by his son had brought sacredness of life into disrepute.
“It is one of the most difficult moments of my life to see my son commit such a crime. No one’s child should be subjected to such a death.
“I am disappointed that my son can steal my gun. I did not even know he got away with my gun. He has no right to take away someone’s life in this manner. I didn’t even know he was appearing before the police for investigations. I only learnt this when he was arrested the other day,” Mr Mpombo said.
Uncle to the deceased, Danny Kanondo said his niece’s body parts were missing and that the pathologist managed to examine the cut-off head to identify her.
Mr Mpombo’s son is alleged to have killed his girlfriend, cut off her head and dumped it in a bin at a filling station while the decomposed body was discovered buried in Masaiti’s Chiwala area.