KASANDA STOLE US$5 MILLION FROM EGYPTIAN WHILE ARMED – POLICE OFFICER
A Police officer yesterday told the Lusaka High Court that during investigations after the thwarted gold scam at KKIA last year, an Egyptian national complained about being robbed of their US$5 million by businessman Shadreck Kasanda who was armed with a pistol.
Detective Inspector Arnold Kawangu from the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport told judge Chilombo Maka that Micheal Adel Michel Botros came to transact in gold at the Airport with Kasanda who robbed him of his money.
Kawangu narrated that on August 14, 2023, he reported for duty in the afternoon and he noticed that his supervisor and his colleagues were not at their usual posts and when he inquired he was informed that most of the officers were in the VIP lounge.
He said according to the person he inquired from, the officers had confiscated items and from some Egyptian nationals after grounding their plane.
Kawangu said he got curious and decided to rush to the VIP lounge which was crowded with airport security and the suspects.
“Where the white man was seated and I could see some devices for counting money which were counting money. The currency was in US dollars. I could only see one person from where I was standing. He had long beards. I could also see the officer in charge and my other workmates in the same room,” Kawangu recounted.
The officer said he proceeded to work and later in the evening his boss told him to report for work early the following day so that he could help with recording statements from witnesses.
Kawangu said he and other officers proceeded to the National Command Centre and worked with other investigative wings.
“From what I was able to hear during the interviews, the plane had come for a transaction in Zambia with some Zambians. On September 8, 2023, I was called to command center and assigned with a docket of aggravated robbery. I came to learn that the white man I saw at the airport was Micheal Adel Botros,”he said.
Kawangu disclosed that Botros complained of being robbed by Kasanda and his friends who threatened to shoot him after grabbing his bag containing money.
“Micheal Botros complained that a known person to him by the name of Shadreck Kasanda who was with others who were armed with pistols threatened him and in the process took away from him a bag against his will. The same containing US$5 million. This occurred on August 13, 2023, between 18:00 and 23:00 hours at the Skyways private hanger at KKIA,” he said.
He said he interviewed Kasanda who was already in detention regarding the alleged theft but he did not give him a satisfactory answer to which he charged him for aggravated robbery.
During cross examination by Clement Andeleki, the witness said that there was no report of aggravated robbery in the occurrence book, on August 13.
He confirmed that he never saw the pistol which Kasanda was armed with neither did he see the firearms belonging to the Egyptians.
This is in a matter where Kasanda is charged with aggravated robbery.
It is alleged that Kasanda on August 13, 2023 whilst armed with a pistol, stole US$5,000,000.00 from Egyptian Micheal Adel Michel Botros and immediately after stealing, used or threatened to use actual violence against the Egyptian national, in order prevent him from retaining the stolen money.
Judge Maka adjourned the case to August 20.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba