My brother framed me of incest because l refused to keep the K5 million he stole – Simwanza
AN INCEST-accused businessman of Lusaka has told the Lusaka Magistrates Court that his brother who works for the Ministry of Finance stole K5 million and brought it to him for safe keeping.
But unlike former President Edgar Lungu’s niece who agreed to keep $400,000 taken to her by the Lungus, Teddy Simwanza said he refused to be custodian of his brother’s stolen money.
According to Simwanza, his brother John Sichande, a senior accountant at the Ministry of Finance allegedly received K5 million from Ndozo Lodge proprietor Clint Sichamba and retired PF intercity commander Francis Muchemwa which he had asked him to keep.
But when Simwanza refused, his brother became angry and framed him of having sex with his own daughter.
Simwanza made the revelations as he defended himself in a case where he is charged with incest.
Opening his defence before magistrate Mutinta Mwenya, the 59 year old indicated that he was wrongly accused of incest.
“This is a very serious offence but I stand before you to tell you that this whole incident was framed by my accusers especially my evil family,” Simwanza said.
He said his daughter falsely testified against him in Court under duress as she was threatened to do so by the police.
“The arresting officer Maimbo Chulu, acted as if she wanted to help my children but they (police officers) came and brutalised my children,” Simwanza claimed.
“My heart is broken that my children can be violated by officers who are supposed to protect them. My children were gotten from me in June last year and I was arrested because they said I was disturbing investigations of sodomy and incest.”
Simwanza amid tears said it is painful to have his children withdrawn from him when he was the only one that they look up to.
“I am a good father I was abused when I was young by my step mother and I vowed that would never happen to my children. The children are my life maybe the court doesn’t believe in God, the children are my prayer warriors,” he said.
Simwanza praised his lawyer for his psychiatric services and keeping him sane.
He claimed that his late wife crafted the incestuous story as the child preferred to live with him during their separation to which she suspected there was a sexual relationship between the two.
Simwanza said his wife would blackmail him with the incestuous story and demanded money from him.
He said his brother capitalized on the false narrative by his wife when he refused to keep his dirty money.
“My brother John Sichande was involved in corruption in government he came to me asking him if I could keep the money which was given to him by Clint Sichamba and Francis Muchemwa who had brought one million,” Simwanza claimed.
I told him he needed to work hard for his money. When I declined to keep the money he got upset and reported me to Emmasdale Police Station. This is a person who never gave me a one pin (K1000) to carter for my children or a fifty kwacha but for him to ask me to keep K5 million I refused.”
He said he reported his brother to the Drug Enforcement Commission upon drawing a conclusion that he was stealing from government.
“I went to DEC but the Director general didn’t attend to me because of the high profile cases she was handling involving Esther Lungu and my counsel Muleza Mwiimbu told me to continue pursuing it,” he said.
He indicated that his child was picked up from her school by law enforcers without his consent and she was taken to UTH where she was tested for pregnancy and HIV.
“When the child refused to undress the arresting officer instructed the officers to slap her. My daughter is 10 times more powerful than Seer 1 and TB Joshua spirituality,” he said.
Simwanza further blamed his daughter for being ill-fated for the troubles they faced.
“My daughter is so misfortunate I have never seen a misfortunate child like my daughter. I could see through the doctor and the arresting officers teeth that they wanted to have me jailed ,” he said.
“They said my daughter doesn’t have a hymen, how can a 12 -year old child fail to have a hymen she doesn’t even understand what a hymen is and I can’t tell her she doesn’t have a mother that should be done by her grandmother.”
Simwanza is yet to conclude his defence on January 10, 2024.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba