Lstone court acquits trio

Sat, 03 Jun 2017 12:48:20 +0000

By Andrew Mukoma 

THE Livingstone Magistrate Court has acquitted PF Southern Province provincial vice youth chairperson Obby Mweemba and two of his co-accused for the offence of uttering a false document.

Appearing for a ruling before Chief Resident Magistrate Willie Sinyangwe, was Obby Mweemba a businessman, Mungolo Chibala a clearing agent and Augustine Chanda a customs officer who had pleaded not guilty to the charge of uttering a false document contrary to the laws of Zambia.

Particulars of the offence were that in September 2016 in Livingstone, the trio did utter a document namely an export permit to transport Maize grain to Zimbabwe through the Victoria Falls border post willfully and unlawfully.

The trio were later arrested and charged with the subject offence and were being represented by Cheelo Mwiinga of MAK Partners and Adrian Nkausu of AC and Company.

In his ruling, Magistrate Sinyangwe said the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt that the accused persons did commit the said offence.

“The prosecution has failed to prove its case against the three accused persons who were charged with making a false document,” he said.

He said that after carefully looking at the circumstances, he did not find the accused persons with any case to answer.

Magistrate Sinyangwe acquitted the three who were on bail.

And speaking shortly after being acquitted, Mr Mweemba praised the court for acquitting them.

He said it was unfortunate that people viewed PF youths as criminals without realising that they were law abiding citizens who follow the law.