SUSPECTED RITUAL KILLERS’ CASE STALLS

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 15:04:10 +0000

By Chintu Malambo

TRIAL involving suspected ritual killers that rocked George, Matero, Lilanda and Zingalume townships in Lusaka, failed to take off in the Lusaka High Court as one of the prosecution lawyers told the court that he had a bereavement and was unable to proceed with the matter.

When the matter came up for commencement of a trial within a trial, one of the state prosecutors informed the court that the lead prosecutor in the matter was not before court and thus trial could not proceed.

In this matter, two soldiers and two civilians are facing seven counts of murders linked to a spate of ritual killings.

The suspects are Lucky Siame,46, a soldier of Lilanda Military camp, Lewis Chishimba, a traditional healer of Lusaka west, Christopher Kasapo, an office assistant at the Zambia Air force (ZAF) of Zingalume and Elvis Nyanga, a soldier of Kandungu in Solwezi.

Earlier, High Court judge Florence Lengalenga ordered for a trial within a trial in respect to the first accused person, Lucky Siame.

This was after Detective inspector David Siloka of Chilenje police camp who is also a witness in the matter told the court that Siame led the investigations team to a place near Musanide car park in George compound where he revealed and demonstrated how they dumped bodies of those they murdered.

Mr. Siloka said that the alleged place is the same one where police once picked a body before the suspect were apprehended.

However, defense lawyer Humphrey Mweemba objected to the witness’s leading testimony that his client had voluntarily led the officers. He asked the court to further guide on whether the witness was in order to give a testimony that was equal to a confession.

In her ruling, justice Lengalenga demanded that the testimony which pointed to Siame’s leading be removed from police evidence so as to accord him a fair trial  and to have the court  determine whether the statement was made willfully.

The matter will come up on 19th October 2017.