Drunken Officer Frees 13 Suspects in Zambia

A police officer in Zambia reportedly let 13 suspects go from jail so they could celebrate New Year’s Eve. Officials say Detective Inspector Titus Phiri was drunk when he opened the cells at the Leonard Cheelo police station in Lusaka.

Phiri took the keys from Constable Serah Banda and unlocked both the male and female cells, telling the suspects they were free to leave and join the New Year celebrations. Of the 15 suspects in custody, 13 escaped. After the incident, Phiri ran away.

The suspects were facing charges like assault, robbery, and burglary, and now they are on the run. Police have started a manhunt to find them.

Phiri has not commented on the situation yet.

Former presidential spokesperson Dickson Jere reacted to the news on Facebook, saying it was funny to picture the scene but reminded him of a similar event in 1997. That year, a judge released 53 suspects who had been held for a long time without a court appearance, stating, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

-BBC