School leaver in court over truck driver’s murder

A nineteen- year-old school leaver of Ndola yesterday appeared in the Ndola High Court for the murder of a truck driver.
Mwenda Kalala appeared before Ndola High Court Judge Petronella Ngulube for plea in a case in which he has been charged with the murder of Donald Saizi.

Particulars of the offence are that between April 6 and April 7 this year in Ndola, Kalala murdered Donald Saizi.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Ms Justice Ngulube said she had recorded a plea of not guilty and adjourned the case to December 22 for trial.

In the same court, a 32-year-old technician of Ndola pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder.

Charles Kabembo of 3001, New Mushili Township, was charged with the murder of Miriam Kasuka.

Particulars of the offence are that Kabembo on September 30 this year murdered Miriam Kasuka.

Ms. Justice Ngulube adjourned the matter to December 17 for commencement of trial.

Earlier, Ndola Remand Prison officer-in-charge Joseph Masengo told the court in his jail delivery that the situation in all Copperbelt prisons in terms of security and food was normal.

He said all the jails in the Copperbelt had 3,517 inmates.

Meanwhile, a Luanshya-based police officer has appealed to the Supreme Court against his High Court conviction of aiding a prisoner to escape.

Peter Chongo, 37, a police officer in Luanshya, appealed to the Supreme Court bench consisting of Chief Justice Ernest Sakala and Supreme Court justices Marvin Mwanamwambwa and Elizabeth Muyovwe against his conviction of helping a prisoner to escape.

Particulars of the offence are that on May 5 in 2005 in Luanshya, Chongo aided Julius Silungwe, a prisoner who was facing a charge of forgery, to escape from Luanshya Central police cells.

Chongo was initially charged with two other police officers who were acquitted.

He was given a two-year suspended sentence.

In his appeal, Chongo said, through principal legal aid counsel Nzovwa Chomba, that the trial judge convicted his client based on circumstantial evidence.

Mr Chomba said Chongo was not present at the time Silungwe escaped at about 16:50 hours.

He said Silungwe escaped after Chongo had done his hand-over of the prisoners at 16:00 hours.

Mr Justice Sakala said judgment was reserved to a date to be communicated.
[ Times of Zambia ]