By Mwaka Ndawa
THE Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has committed lawyer Mcqueen Zaza and two others, among them a police officer, to the Lusaka High Court for trial on allegations that they defrauded Big Eye Limited proprietor Roy Musonda of his K40,600.
Zaza, 40, of Plot Number Q1 Azurite Apartments in Meanwood Ibex, detective constable Bwalya Chilufya, 27, of unknown house number in lbex Hill, and Richard Phiri, 29, a ZRA officer of unknown house number in Ibex Hill are charged with attempts at extortion.
It is alleged that the trio on October 15, 2022 solicited for K40,600 from Musonda.
The three were committed to the superior court by magistrate Nsunge Chanda.
According to a statement issued by police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga, Yvonne Shakantu, a business lady of House No.31, Chitimukulu Road, PHI Lusaka, reported Zaza and his accomplices to the law enforcement agency on behalf of Musonda of Plot No. 30, Bird’s View, Silverest, for allegedly swindling the latter of K40,600.
Hamoonga said Musonda, who has a contract with the Ministry of Defence to supply military attire and bulletproof vests, on October 14 around 17:00 hours received a message from Zaza who claimed to be President Hakainde Hichilema’s legal advisor, and requested that they meet.
He said Musonda, in the company of his friend Webby Kasalu, drove to a named car wash in the vicinity of Garden City Mall to meet Zaza and his accomplices.
Hamoonga added that Chilufya introduced himself as a police officer based at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Police Station while Phiri introduced himself to Musonda as an employee of the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) in Kasama.
He explained that the suspects asked Musonda and his friend to accompany them to Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Police Station.
Hamoonga said whilst at the police station the trio told the businessman that they had spotted him at the Ministry of Defence and inquired about how he obtained the contract.
He said Zaza is alleged to have demanded payment of K1 million from Musonda in order to secure the contract on the pretext that he (Zaza) was associated to Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu and Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Gary Nkombo, among others.
Hamoonga said it was reported that Musonda borrowed a K40,000 from business partners and paid Zaza, leaving a balance of K10,000 as he had earlier demanded a K50,000 as down payment.
It is further alleged that Zaza and his accomplices continued to pester Musonda for the balance until October 15 around 20:00 hours when he was nabbed by police officers when he went to collect the balance.
A K24,000 is said to have been recouped from the suspects after they surrendered it to the police and was seized as an exhibit.
According to a letter addressed to the Director of Public Prosecutions early this year, Musonda wants to have the charges against the accused dropped on reasons that their family members and friends pleaded with him to pardon them and reimbursed what was ‘ravaged’.