A male nurse accused of defilement has been granted bail by the Kalabo Subordinate Court.
Appearing before Magistrate Mulele Siisii was Jacob Mulenga Kasonde 34, working at Situlu Rural Health Post in Sikongo District.
When the matter came up for application of bail, Kasonde was released on his own recognizance with two sureties and in default, K50, 000 each for the principal and sureties.
Magistrate Siisii however warned the accused not to interfere with prosecution witnesses either in person or through his agents.
This was after the defence bench represented by Legal Aid Board managed to formalize a notice of application for bail asking the court to discharge its discretion and grant bail to the accused pending trial.
The defence bench argued that the accused was charged with an offense which is bailable under provisions of Section 123 of the Criminal Procedure Code Act Chapter 88 of the Laws of Zambia.
The defence said the accused is a civil servant and of fixed aboard at Situlu Rural Health Post in Sikongo and that he was willing to abide by the bail conditions once granted by the court.
Earlier, State prosecutors had asked the court to reject a verbal application for bail.
The State argued that it was procedural justice with potential to set a bad precedence if bail was granted in the absence of a written notice of application.
Kasonde is accused of defilement contrary to Section 138 of the Penal Code CAP 87 of the Laws of Zambia as read with the Amendment No. 15 of 2005.
Particulars of the offense are that Kasonde on 7th March 2019 at Situlu Rural Health Post in Sikongo District of Western Province had carnal knowledge of a named girl aged below 16 years.
The accused will appear in court on 1st April 2019 for mention and on 16th 2019 for trial.
Get rid of this guy from the community but prison for many years. Children need to feel safe in society. Jail him with hard labour for sleeping with minor plus patient
Statutory r@pe remains a big problem in Africa, and the world over.
I pray the victim gets the necessary help in the short term.
But as a warning to horny men, calm yourselves down.
Cage him before he becomes a serial rapist, you can’t let him loose near vulnerable young girls. I hope he is been struck off the register pending criminal case.