LAWYERS representing former Zambia Railways Limited chief executive officer Clive Chirwa failed to show up in court him prompting him to engage a lawyer representing his co- accused Regina Mwale.
Chirwa’s lawyers from Simeza, Sangwa and Associates did not show up when he appeared for his abuse of authority case which resulted in the Lusaka magistrate court adjourning the matter to today to enable his newly engaged lawyer Kawishi Mulilo to retrieve Chirwa’s documents from his former lawyers.
This is in a matter in which Chirwa, 58, of plot 206/101 Ibex Hill in Lusaka, and Mwale, 50, of 5 Chavuma Road, Highridge in Kabwe, are charged with corruption and abuse of authority.
When the matter came up for commencement of trial yesterday, the State informed Principal magistrate Obister Musukwa that they were ready for trial.
But Chirwa’s lawyers were not present resulting in Mr Musukwa to stand down the matter for 20 minutes to enable him contact his lawyers.
Mr Musukwa warned Chirwa in advance that should his lawyers fail to appear, he would proceed without them because they were fully aware about the commencement of the case.
However, when the court resumed 20 minutes later, Chirwa informed the court that his lawyers were not available and that he has since abandoned them.
Chirwa further informed the court that he had decided to engage Mr Mulilo as his new defence lawyer to which both the court and the State had no objection.
At this point Mr Mulilo applied to have the matter adjourned to today to enable him obtain Chirwa’s file from his former lawyers.
Mr Musukwa said in the interest of justice, he would adjourn the matter to today.
Chirwa is charged in the first count with failure to disclose interest contrary to section 28 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act number 3 of 2012.
It is alleged that Chirwa on dates unknown but between November 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012 in Lusaka, being a public officer, namely CEO of Zambia Railways Limited, did recommend at the Zambia Railways board meeting that Clavel Incorporation Limited, a company in which he is an officer and shareholder, be given a contract to train employees of the railway company without disclosing his interest.
In count two, Chirwa and Mwale are charged with abuse of authority of office contrary to section 21 (1) a of the ACC Act number 3 of 2012.
It is alleged that the duo between February 1 and March 2, 2013 in Kabwe being public officers, namely chief executive officer and finance director respectively of Zambia Railways Limited, jointly and whilst acting together did abuse authority of their offices by authorising the payment of about K72, 282 to Fallsway apartments for Chirwa’s accommodation, an amount which was beyond his entitlement.
The act is said to be arbitrary and prejudicial to the rights and interests of the Zambian government.
The duo are in the third count charged with abuse of authority of office contrary to section 21(1) a of the ACC Act number 3 of 2012.
Lawyers-No even the courtesy to inform your client that you will not be available, committed else where or have abandoned him.
Maybe they havnt received their ngwee
Its called “akanono”! Others say “kangachepe”!
I have consistently maintained that Chirwa is a Conman and others have added ” international” to that which is befitting considering he did a “don’t kubeba” on Sata and many other gullible Zambians who continue to sing his praises despite the obvious. He now wants to do the same with his Lawyers. There is just no way a Law firm would fail to make contact with the court if they were fully briefed and required down payments received. The fact that they were a”no show” suggests something deeply wrong with clients briefing. Chirwa will come down like a tonne of bricks when his lies leading upto and during his appointment are exposed in a court of Law. We wait to see…
Mbuya bazakusiliza aba bantu.
The fact about government officials particularly elected ones is that they are peoples’ employees. As such they should listen to their employers-people or else they will be served with dismissal letters. Employees should not be adamant. They should be able to listen and weigh issues so that they understand why their employers wants certain things to be done in a particular. Some nurses were recently fired for not listening. What will stop the people from dismissing some elected government officials in 2016 for failing to adhere to their promises?
CAN SOMEONE STOP THIS NOSENSE OF VICTMISING PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPOSE TO BRING INOVATION AND CHANGE OF INFRUSTRUCTURE- SELFISHNESS AND JELOUS WILL TAKE US NO WEHRE- AT THIS WE CANNOT MAKE ANYTHING WE CAN CALL OUR OWN, THIS IS OFFLOADING THE KNOLEDGE INTO OTHER COUNTRIES. OTHERS DO ADMIRE HIM AND DESIRE TO HAVE AS THEIR OWN. SAD SAD SAD AND SAD
The mambala gave himself 25% shares of Zambia Railways from the blues and without any sweat!!! – Is that what you call innovation??? That is white collar theft in broad day light. Gaining pecuniary advantage by virtue of being CEO and making decisions that no one can question. Professor Saasa must be applauded for catching this thief RED HANDED.
The govt will eat your soul and the lawyer will eat your money. Where did you go wrong? or right ?
HAD HE KNOWN, HE WOULDN’T HAVE ANSWERED THAT FAMOUS PHONE CALL..! IT IS NOW COSTING HIM HIS LIFE…!
Reminder to self (and the public at large!): never hire Simeza, Sangwa and Associates.
Prof ‘forgot’ to pay his ‘lawyers’ who don’t work for charity, he wanted a win or no pay agreement which is ridiculous he has been watching too many movies on law and thought this was the case. If only he had listened to his counsel at ZRL whom he castigated…if only he has been less bragocious..if only he had been more courteous to his employers the Board..if only he had not caused ZRL to pay for his and his wifes ticket to SA and bills at Michelangelo Hotels….if only he had not insisted that his house in kabwe was not good enough for him…if only he had listened to advise from his Chairman Saasa……IF ONLY
I’m tempted to condemn them as ambulance-chasing lawyers. Then I remember that lawyers too need to be paid before they represent you. I also remembered how Chirwa bragged about his two-million-pound-a-year job that he left to take up the PF menial job. All I can say is please pay up Mr Chirwa , because even the emergency counsel you found outside the court today will Tommie abandon you if you do not pay him. They don’t come free nor cheap, sir.
“…will tomorrow abandon you…”; not Tommie…
The Professor did a lot of yapping with very little substance in his dream world of constructing underground trains which was a far fetched undertaking looking at the economic development of Zambia. He even claimed that we have Zambian Engineers experienced in underground trains while referring to miners who build small tramming rail lines for ore underground. From the beginning we knew that the professor’s high tech was mere rhetoric though most bloggers didn’t want to believe. You need very specialised skills and huge capital to develop undergroung rail line for public transport and not the small tunnels for tramming ore – where oxygen is even inadequate.
On the issue of “underground trains” (as you have put it), I think you are the one who misunderstood him. He never mentioned a fully fledged underground rail line. What he mentioned was an underground TRAIN STATION underneath the current ZRL Lusaka station. There’s a difference between an undergroud rail line and an Underground train station. Completely different
“The Chosen One” I am with you here – but the question still remains that WHY BUILD UNDERGROUND IF YOU CAN’T MAINTAIN WHAT IS ON SURFACE. This is like you building an upstairs building when you have adequate room to construct normal flat buildings. Underground or upstair building should only be considered when you have space limitation on surface as is the case in Japan and other tiny industrialised nations. Its not just on for Zambia to venture into expensive infrastruture when we have vast terrain to manouvre on. The professor was just dreaming of the subway trains in the UK and he thought by building one in Zambia then that will be development —NO! NO! NOOOO!!!!!
There is a difference between Lawyers and Liars.
There is no difference iwe!