GULF STREAM G650: STATE WITNESS FAILS TO READ DOCUMENT IN COURT IN CONNECTION WITH THE SALE OF GULF STREAM G650
February 28,2025. Lusaka.
State custodian of the controversial Gulf Stream G650, otherwise known as the Presidential Jet, failed to read a document he claimed classified yesterday in court.
In this matter EX Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary Stardy Mwale and five others are defending their innocence in the purchasing of the Gulfstream G650-ER Jet.
Below is the full verbatim as captured by Mbili Media at the Subordinate Court in Lusaka.
Do you know that the Gulf stream you showed us is part of the military modernization programme? Yes.
And the list of the nine items Mr Lemba made you read through are also part of that same military modernization programme? Yes.
By that charge, these people are being accused that they acquired those items without following procedure, they committed a crime, you agree? I wouldn’t know.
You can only be in court when accused of commiting a crime? Yes.
You the custodian, you received those equipment under military modernization into your records? Yes.
And you have entered then into your asset register as property of ZAF? Yes.
So, as ZAF, you are saying that us we want to profit from these things that are a product of crime? I wouldn’t say that.
Did you reject them at any point? No.
Do you know that there is even a firm indication by the government of Zambia to sell that same presidential jet we saw yesterday? I know, it’s in public domain.
Let me show you a letter from the Ministry of Defence dated April 17, 2023.
Where is this letter coming from ? Ministry of Defence
Addressed to who? This is clarified as confidential, I find it difficult to read it. It is classified.
Ngwira
This document is not part of our bundles. We dont know if it is declassified.
Katolo
The proceedings in this court are littered with documents written secret and confidential. It is strange that what is good for the gander cannot be good for the goose. We are dealing with classified documents in this case.
Another defence lawyer
I agree with Mr Katolo that we had raised preliminary issues against producing confidential or clarified date. Nearly everything we are looking at is confidential. Prosecution are biting themselves. There are rulings allowing use of classified documents. Even if this document has not been brought by the State, there is nothing in law stopping the reference to the document.
Magistrate
The risk of defence producing a classified document, if it is later found nor declassified, there will be consequences. It will matter how the document in issue was obtained.
Katolo
Can we address the court in chambers.
After meeting in the Chambers state applied for adjustment which was granted.
The matter will come on April 4,2025
Mbili reports