CHIFUBU Member of Parliament Frank Ng’ambi has been re-arrested and charged with assault occasioning bodily harm with intent to maim. This was after Mr Ng’ambi handed himself to the police yesterday following advice by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Lillian Siyuni to have him apprehended. Copperbelt Commissioner of Police Charity Katanga said in an interview yesterday that Mr Ng’ambi was re-arrested after he handed himself to the police. Mr Ng’ambi was earlier charged with assault before a nolle prosequi was entered. “He brought himself to Ndola Central Police Station and has since been detained,” Mrs Katanga said.

And Non-Governmental Gender Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) executive director Engwase Mwale says the re-arrest of Mr Ng’ambi following the alleged beating of his wife, Agnes, is progressive. Ms Mwale said NGOCC will keenly follow the matter so that justice prevails. She urged Mrs Ng’ambi not to withdraw the matter because cases of gender-based violence (GBV) require society to work together.

“One of the things we want to emphasise is that the accused should not be allowed to tamper with evidence or intimidate witnesses so that the law takes its course,” she said. Advocate against child abuse and GBV activist Bellion Chola has also welcomed the re-arrest of Mr Ng’ambi. Mr Chola, too, urged the victim not to withdraw the matter from court.

“Our call to the police is that they should investigate this case thoroughly to ensure that all ingredients of evidence are there so that it is not thrown out of court,” he said. Last week, the National Prosecutions Authority said it was waiting for police to re-arrest Mr Ng’ambi so that he could be slapped with an appropriate and more serious charge and not assault.

Chief State advocate Nkumbiza Mumba said the DPP’s decision to discontinue the assault case against Mr Ng’ambi was made after a thorough perusal of the docket in the matter. “Perusal of the evidence revealed that the charge [of assault] proffered on the accused person was not in tandem with evidence on the docket and did not reflect the gravity of the case. “It was, therefore, decided to drop the [assault] charge by way of a nolle prosequi so that a more appropriate and serious charge could be imposed,” Ms Mumba said.

On June 7, Mr Ng’ambi, 58, allegedly assaulted his wife. When the matter came up before Ndola magistrate Changa Chitabo in chambers, the State informed the court that there were instructions from the office of the DPP to enter a nolle prosequi in the case. Magistrate Chitabo then granted the State’s application to enter a nolle prosequi and discharged Mr Ng’ambi, a decision which sparked social media outcry, especially among gender activists.

But Ms Mumba clarified that the National Prosecutions Authority got involved in the case from the time it started. She said upon receiving the report, the authority started engaging stakeholders like the National Legal Aid and Clinic for Women to ensure that applications for protection orders were made to safeguard Mrs Ng’ambi. Ms Mumba said the nolle prosequi was filed in court on Friday last week and instructions were given to the police on the same day for them to re-arrest the lawmaker. She said the DPP has been constantly updating Mrs Ng’ambi and her family on steps being taken in the matter