Too many court cases have gotten me mixed up, Lusambo tells magistrate

Too many court cases have gotten me mixed up, Lusambo tells magistrate

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Court has discharged the warrant of arrest which it issued against former Lusaka province minister Bowman Lusambo and his wife Nancy Manase.

Lusambo and his wife were placed on bench warrant last week for missing court without justification.

Yesterday the Bulldozer and the bulldozress walked themselves into detention after playing hide and seek with law enforcement officers during the weekend to ‘elude’ an arrest.

When the case was called before magistrate Faidess Hamaundu yesterday Anti-Corruption Commission prosecutor Daniel Ngwira informed the Court that the warrant was executed as the couple turned up at Court on its own and was detained in the accused doc.

When asked to explain why he missed Court Lusambo said he had a mix up with dates due to many cases on his plate.

“On that material day I had mistaken the days, when we were adjourning the matter there was the issue of 13 and 14. To me I thought we would be coming on 13 and 14 and not the 12th of June. I sincerely apologize to the court for missing the 12th day of appearing before Court it wasn’t deliberate your honor,” he said.

Lusambo said he was informed about his warrant of arrest by the ACC and decided to make his way to Court.

“We received information that the matter has been adjourned to the 18 of June I came to Court this morning voluntarily your honor as always. I have been coming to Court as and when the Court requires me to be present. It was a mistaking of the date. There are so many cases the mistaking of dates was not deliberate,”said Lusambo.

His wife Nancy re-echoed his sentiments.

“I just had in mind of the 13th I never knew about the 12th, I heard the date has been moved to 18th. If I was aware I was going to make myself available or I would have sent the sureties to come. My husband was on the Copperbelt if I was aware I was going to come,”said Nancy.

His lawyer Nkhula Botha apologized for missing court saying he was under the weather when the case came up and he sent his colleague Emmanuel Phiri to inform the court about his absence.

He said he also communicated to ACC prosecutor Chawezi Nalwenga informing her that he was unwell.

“I must apologize to the Court it was not my intention to miss court,” Botha said.

He explained that he sent a message to Lusambo reminding him to attend Court and he had screen shots of their conversation which he was armed with to produce before Court if the magistrate allowed him.

“I sent a message to him (Lusambo) that court was coming up in the morning it was prudent that his wife and his sureties appear before court. He told me that he was out of town and it was practically impossible,” Botha said.

“I have the messages of the communication I had with my client reminding him about Court if the Court may indulge me to produce them. It was not the intention of either one to disobey the authority of this court. As officers of the Court We are mindful and aware of the professional duty we owe to the court and always thrive to live up to the expectations as owed to the Court.”

Chawezi confirmed having received a call from Botha

“I started engaging with Mr Botha on June 10 and I informed him that him that the matter was coming up on Wednesday 12th June,” she said.

“Our decision to engage was owing to the fact that we had witnesses from out of town and had travelled for purposes of attending court on June 12. That’s out of professional courtesy to engage defense counsel. When Mr Botha informed me he was unwell he did intimate that an advocate from the firm would be in attendance.”

Magistrate Hamaundu noted that the case had dragged since 2022 and warned the defense to take the case seriously.

She gave the couple a benefit of doubt and canceled the warrant.

“I will give the accused a benefit of doubt if they fail to attend court without a proper explanation next time this court willl charge them for contempt of Court and will not hesitate to remand them in custody. I hereby revoke the bench warrant,” said magistrate Hamaundu.

She adjourned the case to June 24.

In this matter Lusambo is facing 10 corruption-related charges among them one count of corrupt acquisition of public property, five counts of possessing property suspected to be proceeds of crime, three counts of tax evasion and one count of conspiracy to defraud.

He is jointly charged with Nancy for possessing four houses in Silverest Gardens, Chongwe which are suspected to be tainted.

By Mwaka Ndawa

Kalemba