By Mwaka Ndawa
KONKOLA Copper Mines Provisional liquidator Milingo Lungu has been slapped with six more counts of theft and money laundering involving K17,250,000 by the Drug Enforcement Commission.
Lungu 43, a lawyer of plot no.22763 Mulungushi road, Roma township, Lusaka is facing five charges of theft and one count of money laundering.
It is alleged in counts one to three that Lungu on July 26, 27 and 30, 2021 being, the provisional liquidator of KCM stole K15,000,000 belonging to the mining company.
In the fourth count, Lungu is on August 6, 2021 as the provisional liquidator of KCM allegedly stole K2,000,000 belonging to KCM.
Lungu is in the fifth count alleged to have stolen K250,000 on August 10, 2021 from KCM using his position as the provisional liquidator.
It is alleged in count six that Lungu on August 10, 2021 possessed K17,250,000 cash knowing the same was proceeds of crime.
When the matter came up for plea before principle resident magistrate Jennifer Bwalya, Lungu’s lawyer Sakwiba Sikota told the court that his client could not take plea as he had not yet obtained instructions to represent him in relation to the new charges.
“We have only been given the indictment now and we have not received instructions in relation to the new charges. We humbly seek an adjournment,” Sikota said.
State advocate Gamaliel Zimba could not object to the application by Sikota and proposed that the matter comes up on March 7 for plea and possible commencement of trial.
Meanwhile, in the matter where Lungu is accused of embezzling K4.4 million from KCM and laundering the same, magistrate Felix Kaoma allowed for the production of bank statements and a mandate relating to Mwembazi Financial Services Limited’s bank account.
This was after Lungu’s lawyer Jonas Zimba opposed to the production of the statements and the mandate by Derrick Bwalya, a banker at ABSA Bank on reasons that they were photocopied documents.
Trial continues on March 8.