I recorded a conversation in which Amos confessed to burning a court record – DEC officer- Jones Siasamba
AN Investigations officer at the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has narrated to the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court how he eavesdropped and recorded a conversation in which former presidential spokesperson Amos Chanda allegedly confessed to having burnt a 398-paged court record.
Jones Siasamba told the court that the conversation he recorded was between Chanda and a Lebanese national identified as Walid El Nahas as well as former Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) chief executive officer Zindaba Soko.
The witness said the 22 minutes audio recording also has a part where Chanda confessed to Walid and Soko that he paid a K45,000 for his immunity and was issued a receipt.
The witness was testifying in a matter in which Chanda is facing two counts of theft and destroying evidence.
In this matter, it is alleged in count one that Chanda between May 12, 2020, and October 1, 2022, in Lusaka, jointly and whilst acting together with others unknown, stole a case record No. CRMP/001/2020, the property of the government of Zambia.
And in count two, Chanda between the same dates, knowing that the case record No. CRMP/001/2020 is or may be required in evidence in judicial proceedings, wilfully did destroy it, with intent thereby to prevent it from being used in evidence.
The court record in question relates to the matter in which Chanda was jointly charged with Intelligent Mobility Solutions board chairman Walid El Nahas and former Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) director Zindaba Soko, but a nolle prosequi was entered in that particular case.
When the matter came up for commencement of trial, Wednesday, before magistrate Irene Wishimanga, Siasamba testified that during the course of his duty, he eavesdropped on the trio’s conversation and decided to record them at Sarova Hotel in Lusaka.
“On September 30, 2022, I was on duty, I was based at Sarova Hotel in Lusaka. There was a live band where DJ Rae was playing live music. When we have such events in Lusaka, we go and mingle to collect data. Around 18 to 19:00 hours, in the company of two of my colleagues, we went to Sarova Hotel. I was in the company of Mr Phillip Nkhuwa and Ms Mutale Muhandu. While at Sarova, my colleague Mr Nkhuwa identified a Labenese national on phone speaking so loudly, and while on phone, he kept on making calls. He kept on mentioning names of the people he was talking to. The name I heard was a name he referred to as Soko and a name called Amos,” he said.
“Between 20:11 and 20:15 hours, while seated at a table close to where the Lebanese was sitting, I saw a gentleman enter wearing a blue T-Shirt, black jeans and white sneakers. I immediately recognised him because the position I sat was facing where he entered from. I had been to his office in the course of my duties and I interacted with him when he held a position as head of RTSA. The person is Mr Zindaba Soko. He sat where the Lebanese we identified as Walid was seated. Immediately Mr Soko reached, he never stayed more than a minute, he left. This aroused our interest because Mr Amos Chanda, Mr Soko and Walid had been rearrested”.
The witness narrated to the court that earlier on, Walid was heard making phone calls to a person he kept referring to as “Amos” before Chanda later joined him and Soko.
“I followed to see who he was going to meet. Mr Soko went to the gents. I went back to my seat when I realised he wasn’t meeting anyone. I suspected that Mr Soko and Walid were coming to discuss issues to do with the rearrest and it became a matter of our interest. I figured that the name Amos being mentioned could be Mr Amos Chanda. While seated next to Mr Walid, he was calling someone he was referring to as Amos, when he was off the call, he mentioned to Mr Soko that the person they were waiting for is almost at the hotel,” he testified.
“At this point, I took out my recorder and powered it on, and started waiting for the person the two were waiting for. Around 22:38 to 22:45 hours, I saw Mr Amos Chanda walk in wearing a bush green shirt, Khaki trousers and black shoes. He came to sit where Mr Soko and Walid sat. His seat and mine were touching each other back to back. I knew it was Mr Chanda because he is a renowned journalist and diplomat. I have watched him as presidential spokesperson. When I saw Mr Chanda entering, I pressed the recorder on and pushed it on a granite stone close to the table”.
Siasamba said Chanda and his counterparts also talked about how weak the case they were facing was.
“I started listening to the three men’s conversation. When Mr Chanda arrived, there was a complaint from Mr Soko and Mr Walid who told Mr Chanda that he never changes. While Mr Soko complained of how bad he has been treated for delaying to come to the meeting. Mr Chanda explained that on his way, he passed through the house of Valden Findlay, and he briefly explained about how weak the case he was facing was. Later on, Mr Chanda brought out the issue of their case, meaning their current rearrest and talked of them having immunity from prosecution. They went on to talk about our Director General, on how he felt that she was being used as a political tool,” he said.
“It was at that point that Mr Walid said ‘let’s talk about us’. Mr Chanda brought out the issue of their case. That there are no two ways about it that before talking about their case, they have to refer to the previous case. He said if they refer to the previous case, the file is not there. He went on to say that he got it and he has burnt it himself to ashes. That the case record had 398 pages and that he has burnt it himself. He further said that his wife (Mr Chanda’s) is a clinical psychologist and referred to issues of mental health and that she told him to tell Mr Soko that the handwritten case record of the judge is not there”.
The witness testified that Chanda also talked about his immunity agreement.
“He further talked about the issue of immunity, that he did not sign the document of immunity but paid a K45, 000 which was receipted and that receipt was evidence enough that he has immunity. He talked about Valden Findlay and how Mr Findlay told the former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu that he is only standing because Mr Amos Chanda has not said anything. Mr Soko then said that ‘hope there are no people listening’ to their conversation and it was at this point that I slowly pulled out the recorder and switched it off. Around 23:30 hours, Mr Chanda, Mr Soko and Mr Walid left,” said Siasamba.
“To my knowledge, the case that involved the trio they were talking about was the matter about speed cameras, I was aware about that. Later on, I went to the office the same night replayed the recorder and put it under lock and key. In January 2023, I was informed that the matter will be coming to court and I decided to take the recorder to ZICTA for purposes of extracting the audio that was on the recorder. At ZICTA, I signed the chain of custody”.
@News Diggers