Tuesday, April 23, 2024

State fails to avail its witnesses before the court in Chief Mukuni’s Wife Case, Trial Commencement Moved to July

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The case in which wife of Chief Mukuni of the Toka Leya people of Southern Province and her four co-accused are facing two counts of abduction has again been adjourned to the 27th of July for commencement of trial.

This follows an application by the State to adjourn the matter as it was not able to avail its witnesses before the court.

The five accused, Veronica Mukuni, 46 of Mukuni village in Livingstone, Javen Simoloka, 45, Mayor for Choma, Vincent Lilanda, 49, Mayor for Mazabuka, Ackson Sejani, 63, a peasant farmer and former government minister as well as Fines Malambo, 46, a businessman of Choma are facing two counts of abduction with intent to confine.

Senior State Advocate, Monde Tembo told the court that the State was unable to transport the witnesses due to logistical challenges.

She assured the court that once the application to adjourn the matter was granted, the State Prosecutors would endeavor to present their witnesses before the court.

Earlier, the defense objected to the application, arguing that the five accused have a right to a speedy trial as stated in the law.

They further argued that the matter is of public interest hence should quickly be disposed of to remove public anxieties.

But Principal Resident Magistrate, Idah Mupemo stated in her ruling that she will give the state the benefit of doubt and granted their application for adjournment.

The court has also set 25th of June as date for mention.

Magistrate Mupemo has however excused the five accused from appearing for mention as some of them are candidates in this year’s election.

Meanwhile, on the application made by the defense over heavy Police presence around the court premises during hearing, Magistrate Mupemo has ordered the Police to downsize to acceptable numbers while ensuring they provide security.

The Magistrate however, stated that the application by the defense for the state to give back the cellphones belonging to some of the accused was premature and therefore could not make a ruling.

Earlier, the court heard that the Police had legally obtained the cellphones and were keeping them for further investigations.

21 COMMENTS

  1. The price zambia must pay for having a fraud convict as president will prove insurmountable……..

    Apart from the moral and integrity decay the country has suffered, in money terms the cost will be too much.

    After raping the country dry , the second wave of lungu induced raping will be the millions zambia will have to payout to victims of lungus abuse and political arrests ……

    20
  2. The law is the law. This case is not over. This caster semenye looking woman was used by her tribal husband and now must pay the price. Very ugly creatures

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  3. From that picture I can see that mukunis taste in women is manly looking women. Look at this woman. Very manly.

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  4. In addition, we are getting closer to securing charges agsinst that fooI kondwani so called youth advocate. He forgot that we as Zambia share very cordial relations with Turkey. Please warn him that we are catching up with him for insulting president ECL

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  5. Iwe KZ

    President Erdogan is nothing compared to lungu. Firstly he is a pious Muslim leader who behaves and runs his country by principles.

    He is not corrupt nor a thief like lungu. All I need to do is send a message to the emissary that the so called youth advocates life is in danger, he will be protected.

    President Erdogan is a man of utmost principle unlike your drunkard thieving ex boss

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  6. This entire story proves that the Zambian judiciary is now as CORRUPT as the horrible Lungu government. Give it another year and Zambia will be called Zimbia; worse off than Zimbabwe!

  7. Ba KZ sure, is this the level of analysis you want to subject us to? Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. And it is a private thing. So let’s respect the privacy of individuals. The Bembas say “Ako usulile e kaupile ba nonko”.

  8. Governments that respect the will of their own people, that govern by consent and not coercion, are more prosperous, they are more stable, and more successful than governments that do not. This is about more than just holding elections. It’s also about what happens between elections. Repression can take many forms, and too many nations, even those that have elections, are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves – or if police – if police can be bought off by drug

  9. @Mercury. That is how Malaysia became prosperous yet we were ahead of it but now we are many miles behind

  10. Lost public confidence first is the police service the very close second being the judiciary! Only that cultural norms are highly respected and maintained in many Zambian communities around the country otherwise crime would have been worse off!!

  11. I HOPE SHE REPORTS YOU TO THE HRC FOR ABUSE AGAINST WOMEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A TROLL WHO TRIES TO PUT DOWN OPPOSITION BECUASE ITS THE ONLY WEAPAN YOU HAVE. YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A SMALL MAN

  12. If you need power to govern, then you have missed something. If you need deception and manipulation of information to govern, then you are lost. Remember we are all mortal. God will judge all of us. We should not be excited that we have power. others have played with this toy, and it is not durable. Ask Qaddafi, Mugabe, Mobutu, the list is long of people who wielded absolute power and authority. At the end of the day, we are all countrymen and brothers and sisters. Let us treat each other well. That is more durable than trying to use underhand methods.
    Let us seek truth and justice. Let us remember that after the last vote is cast, we will return to the same locations and be neighbors. let us remember that regardless of how privileged we feel, we will breath our last, and at that moment,…

  13. , the things we thought were the most important in life will mean less.
    May God bless us all and give us wisdom to handover a prosperous and peaceful country to our future generations.

  14. Purpose = The reason something was created
    Power (Potential) = Ability to achieve a purpose
    Principles = The rules which guide how a purpose is achieved
    Countrymen you will notice that without principles, power will be abused and it will fail to achieve the intended purpose. Without principles, power can actually harm the people it was intended to benefit.
    This applies to all, especially those who operate in offices that have been vested with national power.
    God bless you all

    God bless him

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