The Lusaka Magistrates Court has found Housing and Infrastructure Minister Ronald Chitotela with no case to answer.
Magistrate David Simusamba delivered the ruling Thursday afternoon saying the state had failed to prove the case against Mr. Chitotela.
This is in a matter where Mr. Chitotela, Gregory Chibanga, Diris Mukange and Brut Holdings Limited are facing charges of concealing and possessing property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
He was facing two counts of concealing properties in Makeni and Ibex Hill areas which were suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Meanwhile, Mr Chitotela who broke down immediately after he was set free thanked President Edgar Lungu, PF members and others who stood by him during trial saying he holds no hatred against them.
oh my God am not surprised though
He would have brought the whole corrupt PF down with him so best is to just leave him alone.
Ba Pompwe
Again this all points to the ineptness and the mediocrity of his boss one Lazy Lungu who refused suspend or remove this man Chitolela…I mean how many witnesses are going to testify against a sitting minister, you wonder why the Magistrate had to wait till Thursday to state that he had no case to answer what changed?
And he thanked President Lungu….yes of course Lungu controls the corrupt Zambian Judiciary…and next Zindaba Soko will be found with no case to answer..African leadership smells like shiiiiit
Prosecution case gave the court every excuse to acquit him. Investigators saw it fit not ask why the Chinese construction company was sending money to the lawyer’s firm. And yet the Chinese company is based in Zambia with a registered address. Instead the prosecution foolishly relied on the witness from the bank. The bank was not the owner of the account but merely held it. The bank received instructions to pay and it wasn’t for the bank to ask why the money was being paid. The Chinese company is the one that should hv been asked to explain why it was paying. Stupid ACC prosecutor.
When it came to be known that it was David preciding, every one packed their cameras and never to go back to that court.
It is hurts.
Best is to start by closing courts, for at least 3 months.
There are countries without court system.
You can fool some people all the time, you can follow all the people sometimes, but you can not fool all the people all the time.
You can f00l some people all the time, you can f00l all the people sometimes, but you can not f00l all the people all the time.
I wouldn’t be surprised if that was a GRZ vehicle …he was celebrating in as that’s how mediocre Lazy Lungu and PF are.
I think that we should now let Chitotela enjoy his loot with his family Andy close friends ECL, Sunday and the like.
What aquital to someone who received $250,000 from a Chinese contractor. Bank trail was there presented in court. He never declared receiving that money as minister. That’s corruption. And the charges never included this aspect
Under UPNDEAD, you’re guilty whether innocent or guilty. You’re guilty even when you’re innocent.
Guilty even when you’re proven innocent. Guilty in the courts of public opinion.
Guilty in the courts of the UPNDEADz.
Rogue elements in ACC are unprofessional. In Court, you have to prove guitiness beyond reasonable doubt, with full fledged evidence imwe.
A prosecutor is supposed to be rich with evidence to convict someone. Lack thereof causes the status quo.
One suprising thing is that CK has been mute on Chitotela’s case.
Only UPNDEAD characters rant and yap.
Just like all the claims CKinsultor and double h and their cliques always make. Wild allegations against innocent individuals. Eyebrows should rise at the mention of the FIC report. That is why thorough investigations by uncompromised professionals are inevitable.
No wonder they dread taking frivolous claims to courts. They don’t have the balls to prove or disprove wrong doing. Don’t waste people’s time on cases you can’t nail.
We are in trouble if Chitotela really stole. He walked out smiling.
Otherwise, I feel happy for him. Really.
How did the cadres know that their fellow corrupt thief will be acquitted for them to come prepared with inkula? Is inkula sold at magistrate court? These corrupt and thieving stage actors know even deep down their stone hearts that they are hard core thieves who are killing innocent Zambians for selfish reasons, but one day, the suffering majority will get true justice. Samweni bangwele ifyabupuba fyeka fyeka, but one day you will first be put in a prison museum for 1 year for all the suffering Zambians to come and watch you like Chimpanzees, before you are locked up forever and the key thrown into Zambezi River. Stupid *****s.
zambian judiciary needs an complete overhaul. So they are telling us that receiving $200,000 from a chinese contractor you’ve awarded a contract is no longer a crime?
Guys lets be serious for once. These type of jugdements are what brought zimbabwe down & almost brought rsa down under zuma’s reign.
We are not surprised. I had said already that the spineless magistrate was waiting for i instructions from state house.
It appears Luapula United is too strong for Lungu
You notice that this pompwe thanks the gangster leader himself, corrupt Lungu? Obviously corrupt Lungu intervened in this behind closed doors. Because he knew that if this guy Chitotela goes down, the whole gang will go down, including chief pompwe himself. This guy Chitotela will waste no time but run to State House to pop champagne bottles and clink glasses with his gangster boss Lungu, as they celebrate their victory— and laugh at the poor Zambians. It’s the poor Zambians who have lost here, as no justice has been saved. The judiciary has failed the Zambian people. It has no real teeth to bite the big fish, and gangster Lungu has them under his control. And now this will just embolden other would be criminals to loot the country with impunity, knowing that the courts can’t do…
… anything about it—and also knowing that corrupt Lungu has their backs and will free them if they ever get arrested. Corruption has just been given a boost, a shot in the arm, and the toothless Judiciary has just contributed to that. What a tragedy.
***No justice has been SERVED.
the Zambian judicial system is a freaking joke! it’s been infiltrated by the ruling party and those presiding over cases involving p f are mere puppets
fake due process. he’s failed to show up to court couple of times and is being treated with kid gloves, overzealous system is only after the poor members of the community who are facing the law for minor offences
and don’t nobody tell me about the state failed to prove the case because y’all know this’ some b s right here
UPND will come with own judges in 2021.
It is endless.
The best is close everything for 90 days. Everything, except hospitals. Close everything, including prisons, those prisoners are innocent, criminals are celebrating at Chitotela party.
Traditional chiefs should sit down and maybe they came take over all courts.
Local courts used to be effective.
Just prove your case. The judiciary is professional and is not sweared by political campaigns in deciding matters before it. Under 5 unpd should realize that only the court can decide if an accused is guilty or not. ECL knw the workings of the judiciary hence his wise decision not to suspend or fire Chitotela based on rumours.
It was impossible for the Chief Thief Chitotela not to be acquitted. The magistrate and the ACC knew that ECL did not want Chitotela to be prosecuted,not to even talk of being convicted.The prosecution by the ACC was very casual.The conviction was expected.Magistrate Simusamba will soon be appointed Judge of the High Court or even Judge of the Constitutional Court. Zambia is now a rotten nation.
And the funny reality is that the people that are hard hit by corruption keep supporting the thieves.
Guilty whether proven innocent or guilty.
Who does that?
Who do you blame for the acquittal.
The defense team was smarter than the prosecutors.
Your naivety seem to be suggesting that the defense team bought the prosecutors off. Or that Dr. ECL intervened.
But even that you can you can’t prove.
How dull can you get?
Bitter goons.
Very bitter. According to them, you are guilty until you prove your innocence. However the law doesn’t work like that. He who accuses must prove.
Chitotela is innocent.
Painful as it is I have to agree with Thorn in the Butt. The prosecutors are inept and waaaay out of their league.
If lungu really wanted to know why Chitotela recived $250 k from a Chinese contractor who was awarded a contract , he would have found out through the courts…..but lungu is part of this gang, infact the head of the gang who gets a cut of all deals
The unfortunate outcome of this “acquittal” is that no one will believe it is genuine all becoz he refused to take leave while the case was ongoing. Who can expect his juniors to testify against him while he is still in office? The PF is making a mockery of our judiciary.
That was expected…….Lungus name is even mentioned in the FIC report as reciving money connected to chitotela…….
even that chimesa and Mr fingers, their case will drag on untill near 2021 where they will be recruited for PF campains.
zambians it is up to you now to decide whether your money must be intrusted in the hands of the people who would commit a crime, corruption and any kind of offenses and get away with it. how much more time do you still need in order for for you to make up your mind. time is ripe now. stand up and be counted. dump the thieves.
We should acquit the PF too in 2021.
Keep dreaming
Anti-corruption in Zambia is a joke!! THE STATE FAILED TO PROVE THEIR CASE?? The minute we realise that the post/m’membe/mwanawasa style will never work, that’s the minute we will succeed in this field like the way RSA is succeeding…it should start with a thorough reformation of ZP…
If what you’re bullshuting is true, then even the opposition is a bigger joke.
At law, prosecutors must have enough guns. They must present enough munition. It is hypercrazy to assault the judge who did not have adequate arguments from prosecutors to make him rule otherwise.
When you claim wildly, you must present your case fully. Courts don’t use sentiments.
Be level headed. The rule of law took precedence and Chitotela benefited from it whether the wintness was drunk or not, forgot one line in the statement or was inconsistent.
Thus, let’s roll folks. Twalibelela.
Lungu owns the prosecutors and convicts who he wants….
Don’t blame the court. Blame the prosecution. Here’s why. The Chinese construction company was a KEY witness in this case because it’s the one that paid the money through its bank account. The ACC prosecutor relied on the bank which merely received instructions to pay. The Chinese company should hv been asked why it was paying the money. It’s based in Zambia and has a known address. Experienced prosecutors identify KEY witnesses and then support witnesses. The bank was a support witness.
You are naive .The whole case was fake and fixed. ACC prosecutors are highly trained at a great cost to you and me.What they did and what they failed to do was deliberate and predetermined. ACC today have all the evidence to be able to secure convictions for all PF Ministers but ECL has done his homework so that NO PF OFFICIAL /MINISTER WILL BE CONVICTED AS LONG AS THEY SUPPORT HIM AND AS LONG AS HE IS PRESIDENT. Most Zambians are politically naive and do not understand the extent to which ECL and PF have destroyed the institutions of this country.
Mitimiti: I actually think that It’s u who’s naive. How dd u expect a “fake and fixed case” to be won then? The court isn’t there to fill in the blanks for the prosecution.
There you go again.
Lungu was right.
Mfwiti mfwiti.
Some one asking how and why Chitotela recived almost $300k from a Chinese contractor , ati
“ mfwiti “ ?
To PF theives that is normal , reciving hudge sums and properties from contractors
It narrowed down to the prosecuting team Vs the defendants team.
Public opinion doesn’t do much to sway a verdict.
How crazy to you sound when say things you’re saying bwana Spaka.
Some common rulings may emerge:-
i) Guilty
ii) Not guilty
iii) Nolle prosequi
A prima facie case is a cause of action or defense that is sufficiently established by a party’s evidence to justify a verdict in his or her favor, provided such evidence is not rebutted by the other party. This necessitates proceedings.
What does no case to answer mean to you?
Chitotela may be guilty but your charges were not founded on firm ground (Evidence). If a criminal will be smart enough to conceal evidence, in all courts under the earth, such a one will be deemed innocent. That is the rule of law.
That magistrate is a staunch PF cadre, Its no secrete.
I don’t like David Simusamba but if we continue taking weak cases like this one to court this will be the outcome…I said from the onsite that a minister like Chitotela can be pinned down on countless of cases in his Ministry involving billions of dollars but so long as that lazy man in State House is shielding crooks; juniors will never testify for fear of reprisals.
Oh my God ,its regrettable that corruption ,abuse of office and ineptitude has won.
The law is clear;one is innocent until proven guilty!ACC rush cases without solid evidence and in the end lose those cases.Recall the FTJ Chiluba corruption cases?Dr.Chiluba was cleared.What about RB’s Mpundu trust properties case?ACC failed to prove that case and lost as well.THUS,THE CORRUPTION PEOPLE SING ABOUT IN ZAMBIA MINUS EVIDENCE IS SIMPLY FAKE.No Judge in the world would convict a victim without solid evidence.Basics in law,would confirm this fact!!HENCE,IT IS HIGH TIME ACC OFFICERS IMPROVED THEIR INVESTIGATION SKILLS OR ELSE THEY’LL CONTINUE LOSING CASES AND WASTING TAXPAYERS’ MONEY!!!
Congratulations Hon.Chitotela!!!
This case was weak from the start…am sure Lazy Lungu even knew the outcome why would he risk even flying to Mansa tomorrow and encouraging people to turn up in large numbers at the Sugar plant he is commissioning…the adjournment was carefully timed with his weekend visit this Chitotela will be there as well.
We pray his enemies now know that hatred doesn’t pay.
we are waiting for the biggest one. The coming back of Hon. Kambwili home and becoming HE Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s .. .
THE COURTS OF LAW ARE ENTRUSTED WITH THE DUTY OF DELIVERING JUSTICE IN THE PRESENCE OF “SOLID” EVIDENCE. YOU DON’T JUST LOOK AT CHITOTELA’S PROPERTIES AND ASSUME THAT HE IS A THIEF. THAT IS WITCH-HUNTING. AND THE JUDGE WILL NOT JUST LISTEN TO THE SCREAMING ALLEGATIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THOSE WITH SOLID EVIDENCE ARE FREE TO APPEAL THIS RULING TO THE SUPREME COURT.
ACC and DEC should stop sensationalising and dramatising cases before they do a thorough job of investigating and gathering enough evidence. look at the media frenzy that presided this matter, it was as if Chitotela was already convicted. i only hope CHITOTELA sues ACC and DEC for maliciously bringing his name into disrepute
Vindicated, Victorious! Major sour grapes from naysayers…….pie in your face!
He should pray and give a gift of thanks to charity. Party timeeeerr!!!!
CKinsultor must be innocent too.
The world could witness a cold blood murder take a long walk to freedom on account that the witness was a drunkered.
I have warned you crazy lazy bone niggaz. These unsubstantiated corruption calls that have no bearing, no real smoking gun will end up stiffening hard core thieves.
Calling most of you lazy bums to be witnesses to the corruption you keep singing about would make you scamper and hide in mouse holes in fear. You can’t testify, damn it.
The case should have been the over inflating of projects, not this. property ownership can be easily proven. Our ACC should work closely with FIC, and not have information released to the public before the have a clear case. This is our fault for jumping to conclusions as a people. Chiluba started this thievery. Now let us put pressure on government.
Drain the swamp.
What can you expect when the Judge has publicly showed the world that he a PF member and supports the lazy and thieving one .This outcome was kind of expected mindless to say the suspect had the potential to temper with and destroy evidence as he was serving as minister .Zambia has gone to the dogs .
Ask Fred M’membe and Magistrate Simusamba.Every time Fred is arrested and applies for bail, Simusamba will set the hearing on a Friday afternoon and then he disappears in the chambers leaving M’membe with no option but wait for Monday at Chimbokaila remand facility.
M’membe know him better..lol
What bogs our minds is the origin of the fake allegations against Hon. Chitotela. The ACC must develop some intellectual skills to sieve out and separate the chaff from the grain when strange politicians report fake statements to the Security Systems. Why go for Chitotela when the so-called rich Zambians milked the ZCCM properties and connived with some hungry Chiefs to displace ordinary people of Namwala from their indigenous lands? Yet, Zambia needs delivery of fruitful country-wide development for the people.
Unless you are telling us that bank records showing Chitotela reciving more than $200 k from a Chinese contractor are fake , then it is true he is not guilty.
My question is why the ACC even began this matter knowing fully well that they did not have all pieces together? Where is your professionalism as prosecutors IF indeed an invisible hand made them to put holes in their OWN case by neglecting key ingredients?? I asked a question here the other day, how do you charge someone for concealing property without linking him to the money that paid for the property?? Lets not even blame the Magistrate here,when you take a half investigated case to court, dont expect the Judge to fill in the blanks,its a court of law not of opinion!
There is nothing ACC can do if the appointing authority , lungu does not want a conviction.
Bank records show Chitotela recived $200k from a Chinese company being awarded GRZ contracts.
Who will deliver us from LUNGU-pf
Meanwhile, Mr Chitotela who broke down immediately after he was set free thanked President Edgar Lungu, PF members and others who stood by him during trial saying he holds no hatred against them.
Why thank ELC definitely for telling judges to quit his case this government has bribery than ever before
Dr. ECL learned a lesson from the sidelining of puffed CKinsultor therefore he gave Chitotela a benefit of doubt.
He behaved rationally this time around.
Damn it!
Why wouldn’t he break down when wolves already sentenced you to the dungeon.
Why wouldn’t he thank a leader who stood by him.
“Only in Africa will thieves be regrouping to loot again and the youths whose future is being stolen will be celebrating it …” – Nobel Prize winner Professor Aki O.B. Soyinka
@thorn in the flesh, you will commit suicide with keyboard loneliness. Even PF know that Chitotela is corrupt and any judgement will not insulate him from his stinking corruption. “Umulandu ta ubola”.
There goes Chitotela being driven off in a huge SUV to celebrate on fine wines and caviar and the hungry malnourished supporters troop back to their ramshackles not knowing where the next meal will come from. Iam not making this up!
Congratulations to Chitotela ARE NOT IN ORDER from right thinking people. He should have been fired or suspended before starting to appear in court. We all know why he was acquitted. Only the beneficiaries of his corrupt deeds are ‘genuinely congratulating’ him. Yes he is free, for now.Umulandu taubola bane. Time is ticking.
Chitotela recived hudge sums of money from contractors….
That is the crux of the matter.
Same as when lungu recived land in enswatini from a contractor to GRZ
They want to make reciving hudge sums of money and properties from contractors to GRZ legal
No proof.
A lonely walk in a park of corruption.
Uleishiba utuntu spaka mwaiche.
The bank records don’t lie badala ……
The Zambian people, yet again are the losers and thieves are the winners. The ACC prosecutors are highly trained. They knew what they were doing. They through it and they planned it very well. they had resolved that Chitotela was not going down How were they going to achieve this objective? Simply do not bring to court the person who executed the corruption i.e. the Chinese company that gave the money after winning the contract. the magistrate has absolutely no wrong in his path according to the legal system we follow. It is not enquisitoral like the french where the magistrate was going to order the prosecution to call the Chinese company to answer for its sins and clear itself. rather in our case which is the adversarial system it is up to the prosecurion team (ACC, Police and AG) to…
It was a very good judgment by a very good magistrate
The ACC deliberately “failed” to investigate the critical elements of the case, including the Chinese company which financed the corruption. The ACC is supposed to be made up of smart investigators, their “incompetence” in this one case though disgusting reveals a lot about the official “fight” against corruption. No wonder the trib.al was not suspended to facilitate investigations. The out come was known from the first minute.
His supporters are celebrating the supremacy of corruption in Zambia over all else.
And God is looking….. wait and see who was cheating.
We are a sham as a country if we will let this go. I’m a PF supporter but this isn’t the right way of doing things as a country and government. 2021 will be a case of Malawi, riots and protests
The official thieves have discovered a new way of practising corruption without being jailed: employ incompetent investigators at ACC. When the corrupt are taken to court they are acquitted for “lack of evidence” or due to shoddy investigations, and then they stand on podiums and claim that they have been “vindicated”, “free and independent judiciary”, “free and independent ACC”, blah blah blah.
THIS ONE IS AN ABSOLUTE SHAME ON ACC, given the comments by the magistrate.
IF I WAS THE COMMISSIONER I WOULD RESIGN FORTHWITH.
AND IF I WAS THE ACCUSED, I WOULD JUST KEEP QUIET AS THIS IS NOT A CLEAN ACQUITTAL given the observations by the magistrate.
….AND I WOULD NOT THANK THE PRESIDENT FOR HIS SUPPORT, BUT LEAVE THAT HIGH OFFICE OUT OF THIS..
This IS DIRTY for God’s sake.
And for a similar case, the same ACC may get Lt Gen Chimese to serve time in Chimbokaila!! Just to “prove” that ACC has teeth……really laughable, to use a copyright of Gay Jay, when he should be calling it sad!!
Lets be fair, if somebody is working hard day and night,akuba? stop discouraging pipo to wrk hard.
MOST OF US CONDEMNING PRESIDENT DR. LUNGU WOULD PERFORM WORSE THAN HIM WHEN WE ARE PUT IN HIS OFFICE. DR. LUNGU, AS PRESIDENT, HAS EVEN TRIED. IT IS NOT EASY TO BE PRESIDENT IN SUCH CONFUSION.
THIS IS WHY THE CHRONIC PROBLEMS OF THE ACC, POLICE, JUDICIARY MUST NOT BE BLAMED ON DR. LUNGU. BUT IT IS TRUE THAT THERE IS A VERY HUGE MOUNTAIN OF PROBLEMS IN THESE INSTITUTIONS. PRESIDENT DR. LUNGU ONLY INHERITED THEM. HE IS LIKELY TO LEAVE THEM FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT IN 2026 ( AS WITH THE NDF RESOLUTIONS, 2021 IS FOR DR. LUNGU, THOUGH THE POLITICALLY BLIND WOULD WANT TO ARGUE, FOR THE SAKE OF POLEMICS).