COURT ADJOURNS CHITOTELA, CHILANGWA CASE TO MARCH 2024
….Hon Chilangwa denies firing six gunshots on August 12, 2021 at Mulyomi Village
Kawambwa… Friday November 24, 2023 (SMART EAGLES)
The case involving Pambashe Member of Parliament Hon Ronald Kaoma Chitotela and his Kawambwa central counterpart Hon Nickson Chilangwa and five others has been adjourned to March 4, 2024 up to March 14 2024 for continuation of defense.
The Kawambwa Subordinate Court has also set December 22, 2023; January 22, and February 22, 2024 as dates for mention for Kawambwa based accused persons.
Meanwhile, Hon Chilangwa has denied firing six gunshots on August 12, 2021 at Mulyomi Village.
In cross examination by State Advocate, Mwala Museta that he fired two gunshots in the air and four to deflate the tyres of the vehicle at the scene of crime, Hon. Chilangwa said he did not.
He said on August 12, 2021 which was an election day he was not armed as he never felt insecure in any way while in Kawambwa
The Kawambwa lawmarker narrated that the six rounds of ammunitions out of the 50 he had, four were fired by himself at his farm and two by a police officer to test the fire arm after renewing its licence.
“Your honour, there is no single police officer who came to testify in this court that I fired the gun shots in the air and deflated the tires of the motor vehicle as I was standing next to the former Police Officer in charge, Mr. John Tembo at the scene of crime,” he explained.
He said the testimony by the state witnesses that he fired the gunshots were total falsehoods and malice.
Hon. Chilangwa was testifying before Magistrate Martin Namushi for the offence of threatening violence to one UPND member at Mulyomi Village during the general elections on August 12, 2021.
And a 56 year old eye-witness, Fabian Mwenya told the court that he heard the first and second gunshots fired by the police officer after one of the occupants in the mahindra motor vehicle carrying offensive weapons in an aggressive manner advanced where the police officers and Hon Chilangwa were standing disobeyed to drop the weapons .
Mr. Mwenya denied that Mr. Chilangwa or anyone among the accused persons fired the guns shots to threaten violence to UPND members but it was the police officers to scare away an aggressive man.
He described the statements by state witnesses that they saw, Mr. Chilangwa, Davies Kaniki and Kalumba Chifumbe discharging loaded firearms at once in the air and deflating the tyres of the mahindra motor vehicle as pure lies and unfair to the accused.
This is in the matter where Hon Chitotela and Hon Chilangwa with five others are on defence for arson, malicious damage to property, threatening violence and assault.
The offences were allegedly committed on August 12, 2021 at Mulyomi Village in Pambashe Constituency during the presidential and general elections.
All the seven accused persons are being represented by defence counsels Winter Kabimba State Counsel, Jonas Zimba, Benjamin Mwelwa, Boniface Chiwala and Kampamba Kombe while State Advocates Mwala Museta and Wilson Mwale are representing the state in this matter.