Police confirm ‘raiding’ ex-Police Commissioner Siandenge’s farm

Fanwell Siandenge

Police in Southern province has confirmed that they ‘raided’ ex-Police Commissioner Fanwell Siandenge’s residence early hours of Wednesday.

Siandeke is on the hunting list of the police since 2016 elections for allegedly aggravated robbery according to police. But he is reportedly to have been togther with Obvious Mwaliteta when they intercepted a vehicle they suspect was carrying pre-marked ballot papers.

The police confirmed the search at the farm in Namwala in a press release below:

The police have even offered thousands of kwacha to information that would lead to his arrest. Siandenge served as Western province Police Commissioner before he was fired by President Edgar Lungu for what critics say being sympathetic to the opposition UPND.

Police in Southern Province yesterday received information that Mr Fanwell Siandenge who has been on a police wanted list for a long time now, was spotted in Namwala.
Following up the report, a team of police officers went to Mr. Siandenge’s farm in Namwala in the early hours of today at about 03 00 hours and searched the two houses at the farm but did not find Mr Siandenge there.
At the farm, the officers found a woman in one of the two houses who was cooperative and she allowed the officers to search the house in which she was and nothing was found.
She also led the officers to another house within the farm which was found abandoned with the door open. The occupants are suspected to have had run away after noticing the presence of Police officers. Officers searched the house and found two shot guns with one round of ammunition which officers got.
Contrary to reports trending on social media that police officers raped and harassed the people that were found at the farm, Officers did not harass anyone and a search was conducted in the presence of the woman.
Furthermore, we would like to inform members of the public that police officers can conduct a search on any premise without a search warrant when they have reason to believe that a person to be arrested is in such a place and a person residing in or a person who is in charge of such a place must, on demand by the officers, allow them free entry and afford all reasonable facilities for a search.
We therefore remind the propagandists that it is not in all instances where police officers require a search warrant for them to conduct a search.