I found something interesting in IVerify - No, “Captain” is Mr. Phiri’s forename and not his military rank, says Zambia Police

No, “Captain” is Mr. Phiri’s forename and not his military rank, says Zambia Police

Misleading

According to a statement obtained by iVerify Zambia from the Zambia Police Deputy Spokesperson, Mr. Danny Mwale, Mr. Captain Phiri was not a member of the Zambia Defense Forces, and word “Captain” in his name was his forename and not a rank as speculated by various media platforms.

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Verified Apr, 20 2023

Claim

On Wednesday, 19 April, 2023, Mr. Peter Sinkamba, President of the Green Party published a post on his Facebook page asserting that the alleged killing of soldiers in police custody has the potential to trigger an army revenge on the police. He cited a case of Captain Phiri, who he insinuated was a member of the Zambia Defense Forces, and was reported to have collapsed and died while detained in Police custody.

Rating Justification

Mr. Peter Sinkamba’s claim that Captain Phiri who allegedly died in police custody at Chilenje Police Station was an army officer is misleading. iVerify Zambia reached out to the Zambia Police Deputy Spokesperson, Mr. Danny Mwale who clarified that Captain Phiri was not a member of the Zambia Defense Forces, and that “Captain” was his forename and not his military rank as speculated by various media platforms.

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