By Agness Changala-Katongo
Lusaka businessman Walid El Nahas has threatened to offer himself into a State witness in a case where he is jointly charged with Amos Chanda and Zindaba Soko.
In this case, El Nahas is jointly charged with President Edgar Lungu’s former assistant for press and public relations Chanda and former Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) chief executive officer Soko on allegations of corrupt practices ans possession of 21,000 USD.
Their case is being heard by Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Lameck Mwale and so far two witness have testified.
After the witness on stand concluded giving his testimony, the state applied for an adjournment.
After application was granted, Walid hurriedly walked out of court and told prosecutor Sipholiano Phiri that he wanted to be turned into a State witness.
Phiri got interested in the offer and invited the accused outside where they could talk about it.
However, before Phiri could even reach him, Walid jumped into his vehicle and sped off.
When reached to state the position on Walid’s offer, Phiri said there was no position yet.
He said he could not make a decision in his individual capacity on Walid’s offer.
Phiri added that the accused decision was made out of anger.
Ealier, a witness informed the court that on July 19, last year, he was approached by Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers who wanted to know the location and ownership of two properties that he had worked on in Kafue.
Gabriel Mushinge, 52, of Chilanga said after the officers phoned him, he drove to their offices where he was interviewed.
“They wanted me to assist them know where exactly the properties are located and the person who owned them,” he said. “I told them that I did not know the person who owned the properties because my job ends at producing a layout and I handed over to the council.”
Mushinge said they also asked him to give them a print out of the layout, which he did.
He also said the officers asked him to give them estimates of the dimensions of those properties which he did.
” I produced a map which showed the dimensions. There were two properties namely HV/P/58 and HV/P/59 in Kafue. They told me they wanted to establish who owned them and where they were located,” he said.
Mushinge said the officers had ealier gone to Kafue District Council to make an inquiry when. Petersen Mvula, a freelance property layout consultant, told them that he had worked on the said layout and would know who could be the owners of the properties.
He said after he printed the layout, he signed, added dimensions of the two properties in question and handed it over to the officers.
“I worked with Mvula. On the layout initiated by members of Ministry of Agriculture in Kafue District. They were people I tought how to produce the layouts upon the request of the council secretary when they wanted to be allocated the properties,” he said.
In cross examination by the defence lawyers, Mushinge said he was not a registered surveyor and was not registered with any regulatory institution.
He also said he was not an expert in surveying properties.
In re-examination, he told the court since he was not s registered surveyor or registry with any institution, his work had to undergo a process with some government departments including the surveyor General for approval.
The case has been adjourned to May 11 for contuation of trial.