Ex-Chipata Mayor commits suicide

Former Chipata Mayor Jealous Phiri has committed suicide.

Eastern province Commissioner of Police Alex Chilufya who has confirmed the development says Mr Phiri aged 66 of Referendum Compound in Chipata District committed suicide by taking Doom pesticide.

Mr. Chilufya says Police received a phone call from a passerby whose names are not known that as he was jogging at around 05:00hrs today at Chipata primary school football grounds he found a male person whom he suspected to be dead in a parked car.

He says Police rushed to the scene where the deceased was identified as Jealous Phiri 66 of Referendum compound.

Mr Chilufya says Mr. Phiri, who also saved as Local Government Association of Zambia Vice President, was found on the driver’s seat in a car and upon inspection of the body it was discovered that foam was coming out of his nostrils and an empty container of doom pesticide was found besides the body.

He says the deceased was facing several cases of obtaining money by false pretenses and was on police bond in one of the cases.

The Eastern province Police Chief says the body of deceased is in the Chipata Central Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem.