By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA
A CHILENJE resident has testified in the Lusaka High Court that accused Josat Tembo asked to park the Mercedes Benz belonging to slain veterinarian Dr Evans Mwape Mwengwe in her yard which was later dismantled. Ms Haness Kalasaula also told the court that Tembo and co-accused Keegan Zulu are the two who dismantled the motor vehicle.
This is in a matter where Doris Nduba, 23, a student of Lusaka’s Ibex Hill area, Kenani Jere, 23, Zulu, 38, who are businessmen and Tembo, 42, a mechanic, are charged with the murder of Dr Mwengwe. The doctor is alleged to have offered them a lift from Kabwe to Lusaka. The quartet is also charged with aggravated robbery which they have denied.
They are alleged to have stolen the victim’s Mercedes Benz, ML320 registration No. BAB 2838 valued at US$14, 500, Infinix phone worth K5, 000, Macbook laptop valued at K23, 800, and two bags of maize worth K300. When the matter came up for continued trial before Judge Joshua Banda yesterday, Ms Kalasaula testified that she had known Tembo for five years and was the usual mechanic she used to fix her car.
She stated that on June 14, 2021, at around 19 hours, Tembo came to her house in the company of Zulu that he had found piece work as someone wanted to sell a car. He therefore, asked if he would park the car since her yard was big and safe as he worked on it. She granted the request and told Tembo that the car can only be parked in her yard for two days.
The witness stated that 30 minutes after, Tembo returned with Zulu, another man and a female who she did not know. She said the four had come with a Mercedes Benz at her house. “One hour later when I came back where I had gone, I met Keegan and Josat dismantling the car and did not find the other two. Josat told me that the owners of the vehicle were in urgent need of the money and he could not wait till morning to dismantle the car, when she asked him,” she stated.
Ms Kasalaula stated that Tembo disappeared for two days and when she called him to come and remove the vehicle, he responded that there was no need to dismantle the car as he had already found a buyer. She said the next day, she found people removing the parts of the vehicle who said they were sent by the buyer. “Few minutes later that very day Josat, Keegan and the said Lion guy came to pick the spares of the vehicle which were dismantled,” she told the court. Trials continues on November 19, 2021.
