A police detective in Zambia has been arrested after allegedly releasing 13 detainees from custody on New Year’s Eve so they could celebrate the holiday, according to local authorities. The officer, identified as Detective Inspector Titus Phiri, reportedly seized the cell keys while intoxicated at the Leonard Cheelo police station in Lusaka before unlocking both the male and female holding cells. Among the freed suspects were individuals accused of assault, robbery, and burglary.
Zambian police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga stated that Phiri instructed the detainees to depart and later fled himself. Although 15 people were originally in custody, 13 successfully escaped. A manhunt is now under way to locate the fugitives, while Phiri faces charges related to his alleged misconduct.
Commenting on the incident, former presidential spokesperson and attorney Dickson Jere drew parallels to a 1997 case where the late Judge Kabazo Chanda ordered the release of 53 detainees who had been held without trial, some for as long as five years. Judge Chanda’s action, though controversial, was aimed at sending a message about justice delayed being justice denied.
The Zambian public has reacted with a mix of concern and amusement, while legal experts warn that freeing dangerous suspects endangers the community. Authorities insist that efforts to recapture the escapees are ongoing, with the detective inspector expected to face formal charges and disciplinary action pending the results of the ongoing investigation.