ZRA Case Arresting Officer Falls ill Under Intense Cross-Examination
Lusaka, Zambia – 11 February, 2025.
In a dramatic turn of events at the Magistrate Court this morning, arresting officer Mr. John Mulimba fell ill while undergoing a gruelling cross-examination by State Counsel Whynter Kabimba in a case involving the disposal of ZRA obsolete vehicles.
The courtroom, already tense with high-stakes questioning, witnessed an unexpected pause as the visibly frail and dejected Mr. Mulimba struggled to keep up with the intense scrutiny of his testimony.
The session took a sharp turn when SC Kabimba meticulously dissected Mr. Mulimba’s investigation process, exposing inconsistencies in witness statements.
Mr. Mulimba was asked to go through the ZRA Asset Disposal Process stage by stage and state what wrong Dr. Chanda and Mr. Kaoma did at each stage. After going through all the eight stages and stating that the accused didn’t do anything wrong at every stage, the state started objecting to the cross examination. But the magistrate allowed the State Counsel to continue.
Realizing that he had already messed up, Mr. Mulimba said that the accused did something wrong at advertising and payments. Asked whether the Commissioner General and the Director Administration are responsible for advertising in ZRA, he said no. Asked whether he found any evidence of Dr. Kingsley Chanda and Mr. Kaoma is making or receiving payments at ZRA accounts, and he said no.
When questioned about discrepancies in transactions—specifically whether Teddy Mulenga received money from Mr. Kaoma or Mr. Mulozi—Mr. Mulimba appeared uncertain, merely responding, “That is his statement. I don’t know.” State Counsel told him that while he was alleging that Mr. Kaoma gave money to Mr. Teddy Mulenga; Mr. Mulenga himself told the court that he got money from Mr. Mulozi. Mr. Mulimba looked confused and simply stated that “I don’t know “
Further pressure mounted as SC Kabimba forced the officer in revealing that crucial decisions, such as vehicle identification and bid evaluation, were handled by committees rather than the accused. When asked again what wrongdoing the accused had committed, Mr. Mulimba struggled to provide a clear answer, admitting that neither Dr. Chanda nor Mr. Kaoma had personally advertised the vehicles or received payments.
The prosecution’s attempt to salvage the situation during re-examination was swiftly curtailed by the magistrate, who sternly reminded Miss Mwangala, the state prosecutor that no new evidence could be introduced at this stage. As tensions rose, Mr. Mulimba’s physical condition appeared to deteriorate, and he complained of feeling unwell. Looking weak and disoriented, he requested to be excused, prompting the magistrate to adjourn the matter in the interest of his health.
Court proceedings will resume on 25 February 2025 at 14:00 hours, with expectations high for more revelations as the case unfolds. Whether Mr. Mulimba’s sudden illness was due to genuine health concerns or the mounting pressure of a tough cross-examination remains a matter of public speculation.
Meanwhile, the state who applied to close the case earlier after their last witness (the arresting officer) told the court that they wanted to bring in one more witness to the surprise of the defence team.