No English test in Court, Magistrate tells Simon Mwewa
LINGUISTIC gymnastics by Lusaka Blogger Simon Mwewa Chitambala were this morning crushed by legal uppercuts from lawyers representing Chawama Constituency member of parliarment Tasila Lungu
In this case, Chitambala of the suspended Simon Mwewa Lane Facebook Television appeared for plea in a case in which he was accused of having committed Cyber Bullying and Libel against Tasila by claiming that she was the unnamed councilor that DEC accused of buying a bank at K300 million.
When asked by Magistrate Nthandose Banda on whether he was guilty or not, Chitambala pleaded not guilty of libel.
However, for the offence of cyber bullying, Chitambala asked the Court and Tasila’s lawyers to ‘say it right’ as the offence was not clear and as such they should withdraw it and rewrite it as their English was not clear.
Chitambala said Tasila’s claim that she was cyber bullied because she felt some stress or mental anguish was not clear and she should explain it correctly how that was so.
However, Tasila’s lawyer Jonas Zimba urged the court to refuse the English test that SMLTv was bringing to the court as it was not the court’s duty to explain English to an accused.
The Court agreed with Lawyer Jonas and asked Chitambala to state whether he was guilty or not guilty and save the court linguistics summersaults. In response, Chitambala reluctantly said it right that he was not guilty.
Meanwhile trial would only begin on December 7, 2021.
CAPTION: Simon Mwewa Chitambala with his lawyers at the Lusaka Magistrates Court this morning
©Kalemba October 15, 2021