HH contempt case fails to take off

Thu, 13 Jul 2017 10:51:30 +0000

By CHARLES MUSONDA

INCARCERATED UPND president Hakainde Hichilema’s contempt case against National Guidance and Religious Affairs minister Godfridah Sumaili yesterday failed to take off in the Lusaka Magistrate  Court  for the third time.

And a Lusaka housewife and her neighbour have admitted assaulting a woman they suspected to be a prostitute in a recent video that went viral on social media.

Hichilema and his five treason co-accused were brought to court yesterday and Reverend Sumaili was equally present but most of the UPND lawyers were not in court as they were attending to another matter in Kabwe before the Constitutional Court.

This is the case in which Hichilema and the five others want to be allowed to apply for bail pending trial. When the contempt case came up before senior resident magistrate Irene Wishimanga, one of Hichilema’s lawyers Dr. Henry Mbushi told the court that most of his colleagues were in Kabwe where the Constitutional Court was sitting.

Another lawyer Zevyanji Sinkala said Jack Mwiimbu communicated to Rev. Sumaili’s lawyer Eric Silwamba and the two mutually agreed that the matter be adjourned to the most convenient date after which it was adjourned to July 26, 2017. The last time the case came up on June 22, 2017, Hichilema’s lawyers opposed Director of Public Prosecutions Lilian Shawa-Siyunyi’s notice to take over prosecution of the matter in line with constitutional powers vested in the DPP. In the same court, a housewife of Makeni Villa and her neighbour admitted assaulting a woman accused of prostitution. Mwayana Nyirongo, 30, and an 18-year-old grade nine pupil Miriam Banda are facing one count of assaulting Edith Sakeni on June 18, 2017 while acting with others unknown.

Nyirongo told the court that she assaulted Ms. Sakeni because she was provoked when she found the latter with her husband in the couple’s matrimonial home. She said this was after her husband had beaten and chased her out of the house.

“Edith came to my home and I found her seated on the sofa with my husband…I used my hands to beat her,” she said.

And Miriam told Ms. Wishimanga that she joined in the fight when she heard people shouting ‘prostitute’ after the victim was dragged out of the house. She said she kicked Ms. Sakeni.

Nyirongo later cried to the court for mercy as she had readily admitted the charge while Miriam lamented that she was scheduled to start writing mock exams on July 20, 2017. The case was adjourned to this Friday for facts and possible sentencing.