GBM PRESENTS HIMSELF TO COURT
…No More Medical Documents From Private Hospital, Rules Court.
Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba – GBM has presented himself before the Magistrate Court following a branch of arrest warrant issued against him.
And the Court has withdrawn the bench warrant but ruled that in future it will no longer accept medical reports from private health facilities.
Here is GBM account of what happened and his view on the Court ruling;
Court Appearance and Bench Warrant Update
This morning, I appeared before Hon. Stanslous Ngobola to address the recent bench warrant issued against me. I presented my testimony regarding the events leading up to my absence on May 8th, 2024. I explained that I became unexpectedly unwell and unable to continue my defense following the May 7th hearing. Following this, I was admitted to Medland Hospital for treatment.
The judge adjourned the case for 30 minutes after hearing my testimony. His subsequent ruling, based on the presented information, revoked the bench warrant. However, the court expressed some reservations due to the elapsed time. Additionally, the court has ruled that only medical reports from public medical facilities within Zambia will be considered in future proceedings.
The case has been adjourned again, this time until May 24th, 2024, when a ruling will be made on a preliminary issue raised by my defense team.
While I have utmost respect for the expertise of Zambia’s medical professionals, I believe there are certain conditions and procedures that may not be readily available here but could be found elsewhere. In such situations, seeking the best possible care to preserve life is a critical decision, one faced not just by individuals but also by the government. As evidence, we can point to numerous instances where the government itself has facilitated medical evacuations for patients requiring specialized cancer, cardiac, and other treatments unavailable within the country.