GOLD, US$5.6M CASH DRAMA IN NEW TWIST

By LUCY PHIRI

THE gold and US$5.6 million heist scandal which has since sucked in some State House personnel yesterday took a complete new and dramatic twist after the State decided to discharge five Egyptians and one Zambian from the espionage case through a nolle prosequi while committing five Zambians including Shadreck Kasanda to the High Court on the same offence.

And Makebi Zulu of Makebi Zulu Advocates has described reports that two of the Egyptians who were discharged through a nolle prosequi have been re-arrested.

Mr Zulu said he was of the strong belief that the report that the two unnamed Egyptian suspects in the gold scandal had been re-arrested was only meant to hoodwink Zambians that the State was still investigating the matter.

On Thursday, Kasanda, one of the 11 suspects in the gold and US$5.6 million scandal dropped a bombshell when he accused Sevyanji Sinkala, President Hakainde Hichilema’s lawyer in the 2017 treason trial and the current chairman of the Zambia Airports Corporation Limited as the man who demanded US$3 million to facilitate the release of all the suspects, five of whom are Egyptians.

According to Kasanda, Mr Sinkala is the man who went to Kamwala Remand Prison and allegedly demanded US$3 million in exchange for the release of the gold suspects. 

But yesterday, the matter took a complete twist when the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Gilbert Phiri instructed that the five Egyptian nationals and Osward Diangamo be discharged on a nolle prosequi but committed the Zambian suspects to the High Court for espionage.

Lusaka Chief resident magistrate Davies Chibwili then discharged five Egyptians and one Zambian in a case they are charged with Espionage contrary to section 318 (a) of the State Security Act Chapter 111 of 2012 of the Laws of Zambia.

State Prosecutor Gracilia Mulenga informed the court that the State had received instructions from the DPP to discontinue court proceedings against Walid Refaat Fahmi Botros a general manager, Mounir Shaker Gerges Award a factory owner, Mohamed Gooda a pension Colonel, Yasser Mokhtar Abdelghafor, health and safety environment officer, Michael Adel Micheal Batros an accountable business man and Chairperson of the Bene Mukuni Traditional Ceremony Organising Committee -Mulungu Oswald Diangamo.

Magistrate Chibwili ruled that in circumstances where DPP had entered a nolle prosequi against the accused persons, the defense had no powers to make any comments. “Following the instructions from DPP, the court has no option but to discharge the said accused persons. I therefore discharge the six accused persons,” Magistrate Chibwili ruled.

In this matter, Lusaka Businessman and goldsmith Shadreck Kasanda is jointly charged with chief executive officer of Mahogany air Jim Belemu, Managing Director – ZamQlik Solutions Limited,Patrick Kwangu a business man, and Robinson Monga a police officer.

Others who were jointly charged with him include; Chairperson of the Bene Mukuni Traditional Ceremony Organising Committee -Mulungu Oswald Diangamo and five Egyptians.

Meanwhile, the court has warned the Drug Enforcement Commission officers (DEC) who abducted Kasanda on the day he was scheduled to appear before court that their action was tantamount to contempt of court.

Magistrate Chibwili has therefore warned the officers, who were involved in snatching of Kasanda to desist as it was contemptuous and that they could can be charged.

He has also ruled that the officers interfered with the interest of justice and the actions interrupted the court’s proceedings.

“I have looked at the claim, and the actions by the laws enforcement, they delayed court proceedings knowing that people are watching and it involves foreigners and the case has attracted foreign audience,” Magistrate Chibwili ruled.

And in an interview with Journalists, Kasanda said he hoped for justice and said the entire debacle was in fact not a no gold scam.

He said he is just a businessman and not a gold scammer.

“I am just a businessman and not a gold scammer. We are all Zambians. Some people have been paid,” Kasanda said.

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