Thu, 01 Dec 2016 09:38:34 +0000
By Nation Reporter
I WILL die if I continue to stay in prison because my health has continued to deteriorate from the time I was arrested and confined to Lusaka Central Prison, former Lusaka Province minister Obvious Mwaliteta has pleaded.
Mr Mwaliteta, who has applied in the Lusaka High Court for constitutional bail, said he would succumb to death if he was not going to be given bail because his health condition could not allow him to continue to be incarcerated. The UPND supporter complained before the court that when he was initially arrested, he suffered abnormal blood pressure and that he was denied proper medical attention from the time he was remanded to prison.
The Lusaka High Court has set December 7 for hearing before Mr Justice Mwamba Chanda of a constitutional bail application in a matter in which Mr Mwaliteta and four others are charged with aggravated robbery.
Last week, Mr Mwaliteta, Evans Mukobela, Emmanuel Mumbai, Laswell Phiri and McMillan Shimukonka ─ who were arrested during the August election on allegations that they had confiscated election materials, upon which they were slapped with aggravated robbery charges ─ made an application for a constitutional bail. In their application, the accused said they would abide by any bail conditions that the court would give them.
In an affidavit to support the application, Mr Mwaliteta pleaded with the court to grant him bail, saying he would succumb to ill-health and die if he was left in prison. Mr Mwaliteta submitted that he had a serious condition which continued to deteriorate under the continued detention without lawful justification and that he had been denied proper medical attention which had put his life in great danger.
Mr Mwaliteta further explained that when he was arrested, he suffered abnormal blood pressure and was admitted to UTH where before he could receive proper treatment, he was abducted and taken to Maina Soko Military Hospital. He said he did not even know what medication was administered to him while there. “If I am left like this, I will succumb to this condition and die,” Mwaliteta submitted.
He stated that their detention was politically motivated and it was the reason they had been kept away from trial since they were committed to the High Court on August 24. Mwaliteta stated that the case had also not been cause listed as they were told the courts were full.
“To our surprise, other accused persons who were arrested on or about the same time with ourselves have had their cases committed and now being heard or brought before the High Court for trial,” the accused said.
