Smart Eagles
I WAS JUST TOLD TO IMPLICATE AMOS CHANDA SAYS STATE WITNESS
TWO people who don’t work for Sarova hotel summoned me to the CCTV room and asked me to mention Amos Chanda as one of the people who sat on a dinner table “of interest” to them, a DEC witness told Lusaka Principal Resident Magistrate Irene Wishimanga today.
James Habasimbi,33, a waiter at Sarova Hotel said: “me l am just a waiter and I know nothing about this case before court. All I know is that Mr Amos Chanda is a public figure and he comes to the hotel.”
And that day, 30 September 2022, which they asked me to recall, I served people on table number 24 and that is where Mr Chanda sat.
But the bill which management told me to submit before court is for table number 22, he narrated.
“I can’t remember who sat on table 22 whose bill is here before court but I served table 24,” he said, prompting defence lawyers to ask him to comfirm that 22 and 24 were different and that Mr Chanda never sat on table 22, to which he conceded.
“Other people will explain why they asked me to come here but I don’t know anything about this case and I don’t know the third person who sat with Mr Chanda.”
“Two people, a man and a lady came to the hotel and asked me to mention Mr Chanda. They were going through CCTV footage for Sarova hotel and said they needed me to identify the table where Mr Chanda sat. These two are not Sarova workers but they spoke to management to let me come here.”
But I don’t know anything about this case and why I am here, he said. He also said none of the bills were signed by Mr Chanda but by his friend.
He also said since the area by the poolside was crowded and a live band was playing loud music, he did not hear any specific voices of people.
“It was busy and I can’t remember all the people I served that night,” he said, promoting lawyers to ask “but in all this funfare, you could still hear and remember Mr Chanda?”
“Yes, I was told to remember him!” Habasimbi said.
The witness also said he didn’t have any evidence to link Amos Chanda to any offences that were alleged before court, insisting that as a waiter, his job was to serve clients but hotel management instructed him to testify against Amos Chanda.
I was on duty on 30 September but I was summoned on October 28 and instructed to identify Mr Amos Chanda and record him as having sat on table 24. “They, (management) also gave me this bill to come and tender it before court.”
Defence lawyer Timmy Munalula thanked the witness for being truthful because telling lies in court was a serious offence.
Remain truthful and I just want to thank you for that because here they cage for lying, Munalula said, but still censured the witness for failing to explain his presentation of a bill for table 22 for people who booked table 24.
Another defence lawyer Agrippa Malando asked the witness to state which drinks he served Mr Chanda and to tell the court whether he has any evidence to prove that the accused indeed sat on either of the tables he mentioned.
The witness said he did not have any other evidence, other than the fact the bill for table 24 was signed by Mr Chanda’s friend.
Another defence lawyer, Benjamin Mwelwa asked the witness to confirm whether he had any documentary evidence to support his testimony against Amos Chanda to which responded negatively.
“Apart from a receipt for drinks signed by Mr Walid, I have nothing else.”
The lawyer further asked whether the said Walid was before court to which he responded in the negative.
“Why then do you link a food and drinks bill for Walid to Amos Chanda?” asked Mr. MWELWA, and Habasimbi said “as I said, I am just a waiter who was asked to identify Mr Chanda.”