A retired soldier told a magistrate how he was slapped several times by a police officer during interrogations on allegations that he defiled and touched the breast of his 12-year-old granddaughter.
Kanche Muloko, 76, testified during his defence that even when he tried to question the complainant over the allegations, he was again slapped and taken back to a holding cell at the police.
Muloko, of Chibolya Township, is charged with indecent assault on females and defilement of a girl below age 16.
It is alleged that in December 2023, Muloko indecently assaulted the girl to be named Dodo and defiled her January, on January 1, 2024.
He pleaded not guilty and the State called witnesses, including the victim who told court she was defiled when she visited the accused’s house.
Yesterday, Lusaka magistrate Mutinta Mwenya said she had found the accused with a case to answer and placed him on defence.
In defence, Muloko said during the period in issue, he went home and found that everyone had gone for New Year celebrations.
“On January 27, 2024, I saw my step son and step daughter who came home. They said ‘what we have heard from your granddaughter [Dodo] is not good.
“She [Stepdaughter] said I had committed adultery with her daughter. I told them you have to be very careful. You go and bring that young lady and the grandmother here,” the accused.
Muloko said he denied the accusations before he later received a police callout.
He said he then went to the police station for questioning.
“When I went back home, I found a mob. I ran away and rushed back to the police” Muloko said, adding “they [mob] would have killed me”.
He said the following morning, he handed himself back to police but there, he was slapped by a police officer who first asked him to take off his shoes.
“He slapped me and asked me to tell the truth. He said I was charged with defilement of my granddaughter. He slapped me and I was locked up,”
He testified that when he tried to question the complainants over the allegations, a police officer smacked him and took him back to the cell.
In cross examination, prosecutor Grace Muhumpu asked if he had documents to prove that he cannot sexually perform as alleged. He replied that he did not.
“Then you are lying,” Ms Grace Muhumpu said.
“Remember that the victim said that she run after you tried to touch her breasts?” the prosecutor asked as Muloko said z that was a blue lie.
Ms Muhumpu then asked why the retired officer never went for woman his age instead of pouncing on a juvenile, the accused said “That has never been my career( to have sex with children).
“You told court your manhood was not okay, what evidence do you have?”, Ms Muhumpu asked as the accused said that the evidence is that when it happened, he was in service and retired on medical grounds.
He also insisted that he should be tested on whether or not he can have an erection.
The case comes up on July 31, 2024.
