TASILA TEMBO MURDER CASE TO START AFRESH
THE murder case trial in which army officer Nigel Mwaba is accused of killing his lover doctor Tasila Tembo will start afresh following the removal of the Judge who was handling the case which had even reached Judgement stage.
The matter has to start afresh before Lusaka High Court because Judge Wilfred Muma, who was initially hearing it was recently relieved of his duties by President Hakainde Hichilema before he could deliver judgement in the case.
Mwaba, 33 , is accused of killing his girlfriend, Dr Tembo, 47, a former Ministry of Health deputy spokesperson, between October 25 and 26, 2020,after a dispute.
At the time of the alleged murder, Dr Tembo’s body was discovered in a decomposed state near Mikango Barracks after the victim went missing for some days.
Mwaba, who was reportedly on the run at the time his lover went missing, was later apprehended at Dr Tembo’ s grave a month after she was buried.
Mwaba pleaded not guilty to the charge but after several witnesses testified against him, he was found with a case to answer and placed on his defence which he opened last November.
But those close to the case have indicated that it will now have to start afresh and dates have already been set for trial which will restart next month.
During hearing before dismissed judge Muma, Mwaba denied the allegations and informed the court that he loved his girlfriend and had no intention to harm her.
Mwaba said that Dr Tembo was a very generous and caring person.
Mwaba narrated to the court with tears in his eyes that he never intended to harm Dr Tembo as he loved her so much.
Judge Muma had to stand down the matter for ten minutes after Mwaba began to cry in the middle of his testimony as he was narrating the ordeal.
Mwaba however denied killing Dr Tembo, saying he only slapped her after an intense argument they had about her infidelity and the nude pictures and videos he saw in her phone sending to another man.
He told the court he met Dr Tasila between October and November of 2017 during the cause of his duties at the time he was in employment for the Zambia army.
“I met Dr Tasila in Mtendere at the time there was cholera epidemic in most parts of Lusaka, we were deployed to headquarters facilities, and mine was in Mtendere in Kaunda market. Being a public health specialist she was deployed in a similar role as of a civilian. We got alone quiet well and within the same year, we started dating we would exchange visits, she would visit me in Mikango barracks and I would visit her at her home in Meanwood ibex Lusaka,” he said.
Mwaba narrated that about three to four months of dating, they discussed a number of business ventures and concluded they start a business called forever living products.
He said on October 23, 2020 he was tired from his errands and went straight to his room to sleep as he had arrived late, and it was Dr Tembo woke him up.
Mwebantu