BOWMAN LUSAMBO’S ‘OBED KASONGO’ CASE IS HIGHLY POLITICAL – WITNESSES TELL COURT
Three witnesses in the case in which Bowman Lusambo is in court for assaulting and wounding two NDC officials during the Roan by election in 2019 have testified that the case is politically motivated and orchestrated by Home Affairs PS Joseph Akafumba.
In court testimonies before Luanshya Resident Magistrate Penstone Chiluba delivered from March 22nd-25th 2024, the witnesses stated that the plot to implicate Mr. Lusambo was hatched by Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Joseph Akafumba in November 2021.
This is in a matter in which Mr. Lusambo is accused of assaulting one Mary Musonda and wounding a Mr. Mathews Musukwa both of Mpatamatu Township in separate incidents, during the April, 11th, 2019, Roan Parliamentary by-election.
The duo is alleged to have been attacked during a campaign trail along with NDC National Youth Chairman Obed Kasongo who died a month later.
But Frank Chiona who was at the time NDC Copperbelt Provincial Youth Chairman and in charge of training election agents during the by election testified that Mr. Lusambo was not present during the fracas.
Now a Member of the NDC National Governing Council, Frank Chiona who was the second defence witness said three people among them late Obed Kasongo, Roan Constituency Vice Chairman Stanley Musukwa, NDC Lusaka based Member Wlyson Phiri and the Driver, a Mr. Ganaton Mwila were attacked by PF cadres around 05 Hours in Ngebe Ward near Mpatamatu.
Chiona added that the entire case was brought to court at the instigation of Home Affairs P.S Joseph Akafumba shortly after the PF lost power in August 2021.
“As NDC, we were in an Alliance with the UPND and Mr Akafumba was our Vice President. When the attack happened around 04 Hours that morning, PF cadres used wood sticks to attack us and confiscated our small black bag accusing us of hiding offensive weapons there. Only Wlyson (Phiri) and Mr. Obed (Kasongo) reported the matter to Mpatamatu Police because they were visibly injured. When we arrived at the Police Station that was the first time we first saw Mr. Lusambo telling the Police to immediately take the injured to the Police” Chiona testified.
Chiona recounted that in November 2021, some Police officers from Lusaka came and approached him and his colleagues to file a complaint against Mr Lusambo but that they refused.
He however stated that Mr. Musukwa and his lover, Mary Musonda agreed to change their earlier statement to implicate Mr. Lusambo in their new complaint.
The three witnesses all testified that Mr. Musukwa in the process was awarded undisclosed amounts of cash which has been used to build a House in Independence Avenue in Lusaka and buy vehicles.
“Akafumba approached us and promised K250, 000 and jobs to ensure Bowman is convicted. As Christians we refused because Bowman was nowhere near the scene of the crime and it was going to be unfair to convict an innocent man,” said Chiona.
He said he is convinced beyond doubt that that the House Mr. Musukwa has built at the junction of Independence and 6th Street was funded using the proceeds from Mr. Akafumba’s offer.
“There is a three bedroom flat and a house and they are now all now completed. The plot was given to him when he was PF Councillor for Ngebe Ward in 2007and he failed to develop until 2022 when Mr. Akafumba made the offer.”