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BY GRACE CHAILE

CHRIS Zumani Zimba, who has been in incarceration since May has finally been cause-listed and will appear in court on September 4.

Zimba, 44, of Chongwe is jointly charged for treason with Given Phiri, 36, a businessman, Marlone Banda, 34, also a businessman of Ten Miles and Portipher Gwai, 44, a nurse of Lusaka’s Mtendere Township.

According to the Lusaka High Court cause list, the four are expected to appear before Judge Koreen Etambuyu Mwenda-Zimba on Monday for plea.

Zimba is facing one count of aiding of terrorism acts contrary to Section 28 of the Anti-Terrorism and Non- Proliferation Act, 2018 as read with Act No 6 of 2023 of the Laws of Zambia.

Phiri and Banda are facing possession of terrorism articles contrary to Section 25 of the Anti-Terrorism and Non- Proliferation Act, 2018 as read with Act No 6 of 2023 of the Laws of Zambia while Gwai is facing one count of procuring of terrorism articles contrary to Section 28 of the The Anti-Terrorism and Non- Proliferation Act, 2018 as read with Act No 6 of 2023 of the Laws of Zambia.

In count one, it is alleged that Phiri and Banda on dates unknown but between February 22 and 23, 2020 in Petauke did possess one bottle of 250ml Halothane, one bottle of  350ml deep 600 and 1 Bottle of 250ML forane isoflurand BP articles for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism or proliferation. 

In count two, Gwai on unknown dates but between February 1 and  22, 2020 in Lusaka, did procure one bottle of 250ml Halothane, one bottle of 350ml deep 600 and one Bottle of 250ml forane isoflurand articles used for the commission of a terrorist act or proliferation.

In the last count, it is alleged that Zimba on unknown dates but between February 1 and 22, 2020 in Lusaka, did aid Phiri and Banda to conduct a terrorist act or proliferation in Petauke.

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COPPERBELT University (CBU) management has urged the public to allow the legal process to take its course regarding the arrest for two lecturers accused of “sexual gratification”. The lecturers were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for corruptly soliciting K5,000 from two female first-year students. University Registrar Helen Mukumba said the public should refrain from […]

FORMER president Edgar Lungu’s political advisor Zumani Zimba and three others facing terrorism rated charges in connection with gassing of people’s homes in 2020 are scheduled to appear in court on September 8, 2023. Zimba, Given Phiri, Marlone Banda and Portifer Gwai will appear before Lusaka High Court Judge Koreen Zimba for their trial. The […]

BY MILLENNIUM REPORTER

IT is high time that President Hakainde Hichilema should respect his commitment to governing the country by the rule of law and not by his whims and caprices because Zambia is a democracy, Brian Mundubile has said.

Mr Mundubile, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament says Zambians are deeply concerned that President Hichilema has drifted into governing the country at his whims and caprices with total disregard to the dictates of the Constitution which he swore to defend.

Reacting to the statement in which  the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) expressed disappointment by the continued abuse of the Public Order Act  (POA), Mr Mundubile said  it was not a favour that President Hichilema should govern Zambia using the rule of law but that was what was dictated by the Constitution.

He said the UPND administration had converted the POA into a weapon for harassing political opponents, resulting in the stifling of the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights of association, assembly and expression. 

“President Hichilema must follow what the constitution says. We want citizens, including members of the Patriotic Front (PF) to be able to move freely, to be able to associate freely. There is this paranoia…the UPND are gripped with fear that they do not want people to talk. You must be suspicious why is it that they cannot allow people to talk? 

“They have made so many mistakes. Every other day, there is a new scandal. If it is not sugilite, then it is gold it is lithium, it is cobalt, its maize, it is mealie-meal. There is a scandal every single day,” Mr Mundubile said.

He said institutions mandated to protect public interests such as LAZ would no longer keep quiet because they had given President Hichilema and his administration enough leeway of two years but they have realised that the new dawn administration was not willing to change and would continue abusing the law with impunity.

 “It is a well-documented fact that previously, there was an amendment to the Public Order Act. This was after the famous Christine Mulundika case where it was discovered that the piece of legislation actually flew in the teeth of Part 3 of our constitution, which guarantees certain freedoms to citizens. After that amendment, it was made abundantly clear that a party, be it a church, does not need to get permission from the police but merely notify them,” Mr Mundubile said.

He said by the mere fact that the PF obeyed the law and notified the police about their intention to hold a public rally on August 26, 2023, should not have implied to the police that the former ruling party was seeking permission.

Mr Mundubile said it was unfortunate that Inspector-General of Police, Graphael Musamba had clothed himself with power to give permission for public rallies and processions when he did not have such authority.

“I think they (UPND and Zambia Police) are very fortunate that PF is a party with leadership that is civilized. The PF sat back and advised members to retreat. Can you imagine had they insisted on going ahead to hold the rally, even with heavy presence of police as they would have been within the law, what would have been the result? The result was going to be total chaos and probably with loss of life. Obviously that is what Mr Musamba wanted,” Mr Mundubile said.

He said the Police Service was now weaponizing itself against citizens at every point that they think that they are helping President Hichilema when they are actually destroying him.

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Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has greater cost-effectiveness and similar clinical effectiveness in comparison to standard care, a study has shown.

…accuses HH, Mweetwa, Muchende, Sejani, Chief Mukuni, Nicholas Phiri of having been involved in keeping Fenula, Hatambo captive 

RACHEL Chileshe, a UPND member has made startling revelations that President Hakainde Hichilema, Southern Province Minister Cornelius Mweetwa, Marshal Muchende, the Solicitor General Ackson Sejani, the Local Government Service Commission chairperson and Chief Mukuni were allegedly behind the abduction of the Hatembos and not Edith Nawakwi who has been arrested for the offence.

And Ms Chileshe has volunteered to be the witness in the case in which Ms Nawakwi, the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president has been charged and arrested for allegedly abducting Feluna and her husband Milton Hatembo.

Ms Chileshe has revealed that President Hichilema, while in opposition had sent her and her husband Katolo to Macha Chiefdom in Choma as emissaries to go parade Feluna and Milton Hatambo who were being held captive under the instructions of the head of State.

She is claiming that when she arrived in Choma on her way to Macha, she was met by Mr Mweetwa, Mr Sejani and Mr Muchende whose assignment was to travel to Macha and parade the Hatembos to clear suspicions that they had been kidnapped.

Ms Chileshe said the parading of the Hatembos whom she claimed were being haboured by Mr Sejani and Chief Mukuni was to clear the perception that they (Hatembos) had been abducted and kept captive at the instruction of President Hichilema She claimed President Hichilema at the time was worried that should the state have discovered that the Hatembos had in fact been abducted, the head of State was not going tp contest the presidency as he would have been arrested and convicted.

“President Hichilema, you know deep down your heart that it is not true that Edith Nawakwi abducted Feluna and Hatembo. You know that what you have done is wrong. You, President Hichilema, you called me and my husband to go to Macha and parade Feluna and Hatembo.”

“We travelled to Chama and found Cornelius (Mweetwa), Sejani (Ackson) and Muchende (Marshal) and it was Mr Sejani who was to lead the delegation to Macha where we were to parade the Hatembos in captive. President Hichilema at the time said we needed to parade the Hatembos who had been reported kidnapped to secure his slot on the ballot. 

On our way to Macha, we saw Cornelius (Mweetwa) and Sejani (Ackson) return. When my husband called to find out what was happening, Mr Sejani who was the delegation leader said just proceed,” Ms Chileshe narrated.

She narrated that she, with her husband and Nicholas Phiri and former Mazabuka Mayor proceeded to Macha where they successfully paraded the Hatembos at a police station.

Ms Chileshe explained that her team managed to show to Zambians that in fact the Hatembos were not kidnapped and returned to Lusaka to brief Mr Hichilema.

“After our mission to Macha, my husband advised Mr Hichilema to release the Hatembos from captivity but he strongly objected to the suggestion because he feared that if Government at the time knew their exact location, he (President Hichilema) would be arrested for abduction.”

“…and today, you should arrest Ms Nawakwi that she abducted Feluna and Hatembo. I was perplexed. 

Today it has turned around that it is Ms Nawakwi who abducted the Hatembos when they were being kept captive by Mr Sejani and Chief Mukuni. Those people (Hatembos) were with Sejani and you went on to award Mr Sejani, Mr Phiri and Mrs Mukuni with K500, 000 compensation. That is fraud and you are stealing from the people. You want to compensate yourself. You are defrauding Zambians,” Ms Chileshe said.”

“I was there when these things were happening and I will stand in court as a witness for Ms Nawakwi. Drop that case because I will be a witness for Ms Nawakwi. I am so disappointed and upset,” she said. 

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COPPERBELT University Student Union (COBUSU) president Castro Mulilo has been reinstated a few days after management expelled him from the university. Mulilo was expelled on grounds that he canceled classes after two students died in a road traffic accident which happened meters away from the Kitwe campus. It was also alleged that Mulilo called for […]

…IMPLICATES SEVFYANJI SINKALA, THE LAWYER FOR PRESIDENT HICHILEMA IN THE 2017 TREASON TRIAL AND ZAMBIA AIRPORTS CORPORATION LIMITED CHAIRMAN, ACCUSES HIM OF DEMANDING US$3 MILLION TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF ALL THE 11 SUSPECTS IN THE GOLD SCANDAL

BY LUCY PHIRI 

SHADRECK Kasanda, one of the 11 suspects in the gold and US$5.6 million heist yesterday dropped a bombshell after he fingered Sevfyanji Sinkala, President Hakainde Hichilema’s lawyer in the 2017 treason trial and the current chairman of the Zambia Airports Corporation Limited as the man who demanded US$3 million to facilitate the release of all the suspects, five of whom are Egyptians.

Mr Sevfyanji Sinkala is President Hichilema’s lawyer who represented the head of State in his 2017 treason trial and according to Kasanda, is the man who went to Kamwala Remand Prison and allegedly demanded US$3 million in exchange for the release of the gold suspects. 

 Mr Sinkala is a Partner of the ZS Legal Practitioners. 

Meanwhile, Kasanda has disclosed in the Lusaka Magistrate Court that the total number of the suspects in the raging gold and cash scandal was supposed to be 15 but that the state had decided to hide four of those who were also involved.

Kasanda yesterday narrated that on Wednesday, around 11:30 hours at Kamwala Remand Prison, he, along with the other ten gold and cash suspects were called to the reception where they met Mr Sinkala who allegedly demanded US$3 million to secure their release.

And immediately after Kasanda made the allegations, Mr Sinkala stood up and identified himself as a friend of the court and immediately countered whatever Kasanda was saying.

“I am a friend of the court. I have sat on this court to appreciate the proceedings. The gentleman mentioned my name that I visited him and demanded for money from him. I feel duty bound to dispute the lies from this gentleman,” Sinkala submitted.

But Kasanda in his submission said: “Yesterday around 11:30 at Kamwala remand prison, we were all called to the reception and we all left. We met a Gentleman called Mr Sevfyanji. He called me while I was seated with A4. He said he was not comfortable talking whilst I was around. He said we should give him US$3 million for us to be released.

And Kasanda stirred emotions in court when he broke down as he narrated how was abducted by Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers and taken to Frist National Bank (FNB) ATM from Lusaka Magistrate Court holding cells demanding that they be given K5 million or he would have to rot in jail as more charges would be slapped on him. Kasanda said the DEC officers told him that he was being difficult to remove the money and demanded that he be taken to be tortured.

Kasanda narrated that after he resisted, the DEC officers dragged him back to prison with his co-accused and told them to pay US$10 million to be released before they charge him with the offence of armed robbery.

“The DEC officers said I was being difficult to remove the money so I should be taken to be tortured,” he said.

On Wednesday, Makebi Zulu, the Attorney for Kasanda disclosed that his client was allegedly abducted by State agents at the Magistrate Court, just hours before he could appear in court.

Mr Zulu told journalists at the Magistrate Court that Kasanda had become a targeted victim of the State after he had allegedly named and shamed some State House personnel involved in the now infamous gold and cash scandal. 

This is a matter in which Kasanda is facing the charge of Espionage together with five other Zambians and five Egyptians after a foiled gold transaction.

When the matter came up yesterday for response from the DEC officer before Chief resident magistrate Davies Chibwili, the State informed the court that accused number six (Kasanda) was present.

When Kasanda was called to give his side of story, he shockingly testified that a Ms. Lydia Chisanga, a DEC officer in charge at Lusaka magistrate court cells called him and told him that his relatives wanted to see him outside.

“She opened the cells and we followed each other. She escorted me. She was present when I was escorted and there was no paramilitary officers but only DEC officers by the names of Isaac Daka, Sydney Mukelabai, Mavin Kanganja and Anderson. Others are tall I can recognize them when I see them,” Kasanda said. The 11 accused persons includes the chief executive officer of Mahogany air Jim Belemu, Managing Director – ZamQlik Solutions Limited and Chairperson of the Bene Mukuni Traditional Ceremony Organising Committee -Mulungu Oswald Diangamo.

Other accused are Patrick Kawanu Jnr, a pilot of Zambia Skyways, Robinson Moonga-Zambia Police Airport Commander, Francis Mateyo a former professional basketballer, ICT Expert and recently employed under State House and five Egyptians.

Magistrate Chibwili has set September 1, 2023 for ruling on whether the contempt was committed from the scenario and who committed it.

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Cedars-Sinai investigators are experienced in the use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with balloon-expandable valves. They now show that redo TAVR procedures are both safe and effective when compared with situations in which patients with similar risk profiles undergo the same procedure for the first time.

New research shows that higher levels of inflammation in the blood of patients with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery predicts poorer weight loss six months after the procedure.