By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA
BRIGADIER General Dr. Bernard Kapatamoyo has testified in court that murder accused Nigel Mwaba was arrested after patronising the burial site of his alleged victim, Dr Tasila Tembo.
Dr Kapatamoyo however could not positively identify Mwaba in court saying at the time of his arrest, he had grown a thick beard while the man in the dock was clean shaven.
He was testifying in a matter where Mwaba is alleged to have killed former Ministry of Health deputy spokesperson Dr Tembo between October 24 and 26, 2020, in Lusaka. The two were lovers.
Dr Kapatamoyo, who is a commandant at the Maina Soko Medical Centre testified before Judge Wilfred Muma that in November of 2020, he received a call from his sister, Kafinda Mulenga , that they had seen a gentleman who looked like the suspect Mwaba frequenting the burial site of the victim at Memorial Park.
He said she decided to reach out to him because an hour had passed since Woodlands Police Station had been informed of the same.
Dr Kapatamoyo said he immediately went to Maina Soko Hospital to pick two armed soldiers and proceeded to the graveyard.
“As we proceeded to the site, my sister called me saying the said gentleman who they believed had noticed their presence had decided to walk out of the graveyard using the Twin Palm Road road,” he stated.
He immediately joined the Twin Palm Road and saw a man walking through the graveyard.
The witness said the two soldiers jumped off the vehicle and arrested Mwaba who was unarmed but had a plastic bag which had a beer and a bottle with unknown substance.
And the two soldiers James Machila and James Phiri also testified in court but only the latter was able to identify Mwaba.
And Dr Tembo’s aunt, Pheddy Miti said that her niece refused to have Mwaba charged dowry for reasons that he was abusive.
“I asked Tasila that Nigel should call his people as he had overstayed in her house, so we charge him. But Tasila refused saying that Nigel was rude, insulted her and fired workers,” she said.
She narrated that on October 23, 2020, Dr Tembo called while crying and said,” Aunt I fear for my life, I am dying. I have told him that our relationship is over, but he has refused.”
Trial continues today.
