GBM FLEES COURT

Fri, 09 Jun 2017 14:39:39 +0000

…runs away from imaginary arrest

By CHARLES MUSONDA

GEOFFREY Mwamba caused a stir yesterday when he fled the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court Complex for fear of a possible arrest.

After disappearing from public eye last April, Mr. Mwamba resurfaced yesterday and boldly showed up at the court to attend the treason case involving UPND president Hakainde Hichilema and five others.

The UPND vice president triumphantly entered the packed courtroom and boasted to journalists that ‘iron was iron’ while tapping his chest.

He later asked for a Daily Nation reporter and asked how the newspaper could (allegedly) suggest that he was seeking asylum leaving his wife behind. Mr. Mwamba then promised reporters an interview later.

After the court session, Mr. Mwamba left the courtroom and became the centre of attraction as hordes of UPND supporters besieged him while journalists positioned themselves for the promised interview.

But the assured talk never materialized as UPND cadres broke into the crowd and surrounded Mr. Mwamba while zipping him away from the masses.

He initially wanted to go to the holding cell behind the main building, where the accused persons were before being taken back to prison, but the cadres diverted and directed him to the main entrance while they hurriedly cleared his way.

Upon stepping out of the main entrance, he was bundled into the waiting vehicle belonging to MMD faction leader Nevers Mumba and driven away at high speed as other cadres unblocked the main gate manned by police riot officers.

The cadres said they had information that some plain clothed police officers were about to arrest their vice president for unknown reasons. However, Mr. Mwamba’s dramatic escape proved comical as there was no police officer in sight or pursuing him.

And a police source said no one wanted to arrest Mr. Mwamba and that his wacky getaway was out of fear of the unknown.

“When the (treason) indictment was done he was in the country and he even attended his court case in Luanshya. If he had been on the wanted list, our spokesperson would have issued a statement to that effect,” the source said.

On May 29, 2017, Mr. Mwamba’s lawyer Zevyanji Sinkala told Magistrate Tandose Chabala that his client would need two months adjournment to enable him recover from his reported knee surgery but yesterday the UPND strongman did not show any sign of indisposition.