Police have since described the rumours as criminal and vowed to track down the culprits and bring them to book. According to a statement released by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, George Chellah in Lusaka yesterday, the stories follow the publication of an”insensitive and sickening” article by what action House described as a named uncouth website, which claimed that the Head of State was assassinated in the early hours of yesterday, January 22, 2012. Mr Chellah cautioned those behind what he termed as the thoughtless, persistent and inhumane stories circulating on the internet to stop at once before they met the penalty of their deeds. He said State House was aware that the stories were being perpetrated by certain rogue elements, with a bulk of them being investigated for gross misconduct and corruption in the on-going crusade against graft. Mr Chellah said the individuals were being aided in an attempt to create panic and despondency in people by another cluster of “frustrated” politicians, who could not stomach the reality of losing an election. Mr Chellah said the presidency was wide awake to the low-priced political campaign and has since ordered the State security wings to straight-way bring the perpetrators of such evil acts to book. “In the past, the president tolerated akin stories and dismissed them politely but now that he has the mandate of the Zambian people to govern and a development agenda to fulfill, we will let the State security wings chart the way forward on this and any related matters in order to safeguard and preserve the peace this country has enjoyed over a long period of time,” he said. And Lusaka Province police chief Charity Katanga said the rumours being circulated bordered on criminality. She said the spreading of such rumours was contrary to Section 67 (1) of the Penal Code which is publication of false news with intent to cause fear to the public. Ms Katanga said the police together with other security wings will investigate those spreading such rumours and bring those responsible to book because such were meant to alarm the public. “We will get to the bottom of this and we will work together with other security wings to ensure that those spreading the rumours are brought to book. We will investigate to the dead end,” she said. STATE House says it is saddened by the malicious and sadistic stories circulating that President Michael Sata has been assassinated adding that the “horrid stories are being perpetrated by mischievous elements who are under investigations for corruption.”
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State rubbishes Sata assassination rumours
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