LAWYER FEARS MOB MAY DEAL WITH CHIKONDI’S ALLEGED MURDERER THE “ MUMBWA STYLE”
THE court hearing in the murder of young Chikondi Banda will on Friday morning shift to the scene where his decomposing body was found but lawyer of the alleged murderer is fearful that a mob may deal with his client, Nalukui Akafekwa the ‘Mumbwa way’.
This is in a matter where 24 year old Akafekwa is accused of murdering Banda whom he snatched from school.
After Dickson Ngoma, the car washer who discovered Chikondi’s decomposing body concluded his testimony during yesterday’s hearing, State advocate Chisomo Sikanyika made an application of a scene visit at the next sitting.
But Akafekwa’s lawyer Kapambwe Simukonda while not objecting to the application requested the Court to see to it that there’s heavy police presence at scene so that his client was not attacked by a mob.
“We have security concerns unless if we are assured that there will be a lot of police officers. We may be outnumbered considering the area and how people may react,” said Simukonda.
In assuring Simukonda of safety, Lusaka High Court Judge Mwape Bowa said; “It’s not the first time the police will be moved to the scene of crime. It’s up to the police to guide on how conducive the environment will be and how many officers will be needed.”
Earlier in his testimony, Ngoma narrated to the High Court that whilst harvesting maize near Emmasdale police station he was shocked upon discovering a swarm of flies hovering over the late Chikondi Banda’s body.
Ngoma said when he moved closer he was greeted by a foul stench and for a moment he thought it was a dead dog.
The 47-year old witness said he washes cars behind Emmasdale police station and when he reported at work on March 21, around 09:00 his female associate whom he identified as ‘amake Vanessa’ asked him to give her a hand in harvesting fresh maize.
“I obliged and whilst harvesting the maize I saw a swarm of flies hovering over something and there was a foul smell. I thought there was a dead dog around. When I looked closely at the point were there were many flies I noticed a folded leg,”he said.
“I moved closer and I saw a black shoe and grey trousers. I moved back upon realizing it was a human being and called passers -by.”
He said whilst observing the body with passers-by he noticed that it had a perforation on the stomach and maggots infested the body which was puffy and almost bursting.
The corpse seemed to be that of a male person because the person was clad in trousers which seemingly looked like a school uniform.
“The stomach was mouldy it had flies and maggots and I went to report to Emmasdale police station. The body lay 20 meters from the police station beside a drainage in the maize field and a gravel road leading to Chilulu garden,” Ngoma said.
“The police secured the scene and waited a bit for the child’s relatives to identify him and after some time his grandmother(Alice Banda) showed up to identify him and broke down upon seeing the corpse.”
The body was picked around 13:00 hours and deposited to the University Teaching Hospital mortuary.
After the testimony and scene visit application, Judge Bowa adjourned the matter to October 20 at 08:30 hours for a scene visit.
Kalemba