A POLICE officer has testified that potential witnesses in the assault case involving Kasama Central member of Parliament (MP) Geoffrey Mwamba were not willing to be interviewed for fear of losing their jobs.
Assistant superintendent Flywell Mbale, 53, based at Matero Police Station, told Lusaka magistrate Prince Mwiinga yesterday that people he inquired from about Mwamba’s alleged assault of his employee, Collins Mudai, were not cooperative for fear of victimisation.
Mr Mbale was testifying in a case in which Mwamba, who is also former Minister of Defence, is charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to the laws of Zambia.
Mwamba is alleged to have assaulted Mr Mudai, a logistics officer at his Arizona Marketing and Distribution Company, on May 14 this year.
“I conducted a very good investigation although the environment at Arizona was hostile for me when I went to question potential witnesses.
“By hostile I mean people I found were not willing to cooperate and come forward to help with investigations for fear of victimisation and losing their jobs,” he said.
Mr Mbale said during cross-examination by Mwamba’s defence lawyers that he interviewed Mr Mudai and two other witnesses but the two independent witnesses were not willing to give him their details.
He said according to Mr Mudai’s statement recorded at Matero Police Station on May 16 this year, Mwamba pushed him after a dispute on shortage of fuel for three trucks.
Mr Mbale said he thoroughly investigated the matter for him to arrest and charge Mwamba with assault occasioning actual bodily harm although Mr Mudai did not have physical injury on him.
During re-examination by State prosecutors, he said Mwamba punched and pushed Mudai.
Mwamba is being represented by lawyers Sakwiba Sikota, Martha Mushipe, Makebi Zulu and Mutakela Lisimba.
The political environment has changed. Kabimba is no more. This case is not going anywhere.
They were falling over each other in front of the media to testify when the Presidential battle guns were pointing at a defenceless GBM. Now that he is no longer on Chief Chitimukulu’s side, everyone has scampered and dont want to testify against him!! One wonders, why and where this society is going. Zambia is truly lacking the necessary morale fibre to develop a nation. One wonders whether or not the levels of shameless dishonesty we see has always been a part of Zambia’s culture.
While you’re on Kabimba, i have never seen a list of lawyers on which Kabimba appears despite being called State Counsel! Is he really a lawyer? What is the name of his law firm has? Has he ever won a single case?
Am willing to donate £10,000 to a charity of GMB choice if he can just lose one stone.
SMH
It’s okay. He may be acquitted today, but life will catch up with him. Nobody is cleverer than life. Even big evil dictators like Hitler who thought was invincible in the end he died like a dog.
Fatso GBM has always been a ruffian as seen by how he used to brutalise even his spouse . The case will go nowhere because of the fellas deep pockets. A warning to the Zambian electorate is not to give such uncouth people like GBM, Kambwili, Nsanda and their ilk their votes for high public office. Let them just enjoy their “wealth”.
iMMEDIATELY HE GOT SAKWIBA SIKOTA SC AND YOUNG MAKEBI ZULU AND 4 OTHER LAWYERS OF HIGH CALIBRE ON HIS TEAM; THE WITNESS LNEW THEY WOULD BE EMBARRASSED FOR DUBIOUS TESTIMONIES
So the ‘Fat Controller,’ has controlled the situation by giving away the right type of microwave ovens to witnesses!!
That is the real reason he gave his pay away?! He was paying bribes?