By CHARLES MUSONDA
A MAN accused of defaming President Edgar Lungu has told a magistrate’s court that he too was hurt by insults hurled on the Head of State.
Fred Maanya, of Luanshya, said this yesterday before Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Lameck Mwale when he opened his defence.
The accused has been found with a case to answer for allegedly insulting President Lungu on Millennium Radio’s breakfast show on March 28, 2019.
Maanya said on the material date he was asleep when his friend he used to live with knocked off from work around 06: 00 hours and borrowed his mobile.
According to Maanya, his friend borrowed his phone because he (friend) did not have airtime on his handset.
He said after his friend Aron Zimba got his phone, he went outside the house to make a call and took about 30 minutes.
He said when Zimba went back in the house, he told Maanya that he had overheard that someone had insulted President Lungu on radio.
He said Zimba could not accompany him to court as he did not have transport money.
Maanya denied ever calling the radio station and added that he too was hurt when he heard about the insults against the President.
In cross examination by public prosecutor Stuyvesant Malambo, the accused person admitted that he was a Luanshya resident and that on the material date he was at home.
He said he did not know if his friend called Millennium Radio because he used his phone outside the house.
Defence continues on March 24, this year.
