Sat, 20 May 2017 10:27:37 +0000
By CHARLES MUSONDA
KEITH Mukata’s murder co-accused Charmaine Mehl-Musonda has undergone an operation for acute appendicitis and was yesterday brought to court straight from CFB Medical Centre on a wheelchair.
Musonda hid herself in a chitenge wrapper to evade cameras and her details on the medical report indicated that she was Mrs Charmaine Mehl-Musonda.
Charmaine also gave the court her residential address different from that of the UPND Chilanga lawmaker. She resides at 215 A, Lusaka West, while Mukata is of Farm number 691, Kasupe, Lusaka.
According to Charmaine’s medical report, she was admitted to CFB Medical Centre on May 11, 2017, and was operated on the same day.
“She developed pneumonia post-operatively and is still undergoing treatment. She will be kept in until Monday 22nd May, 2017, or Tuesday 23rd May, 2017, for completion of treatment,” the report read in part.
After Magistrate Irene Wishimanga explained the murder charge to the duo, defence lawyer Lubinda Linyama sought the court’s indulgence to direct
security authorities to take Charmaine back to the clinic until she was declared fit to be confined to prison.
Ms. Wishimanga then directed accordingly and told the accused persons that they would appear before her for mention on June 2, 2017, and subsequent dates; as the court awaited instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions to commit them to the High Court for trial.
It is alleged that on May 6, 2017, the two jointly and whilst acting together murdered 63-year-old Namakambwa Kalikwenda, a security guard who was manning Mukata’s law firm in Lusaka’s Rhodes Park area.
In another court, the attempted murder case involving controversial witchdoctor Chilufya Chileya was adjourned to June 1, 2017, for mention and possible application for a preliminary inquiry by the
defence.
Chileya, 39, popularly known as Dr. Kalonga Kanono, was arrested in January this year for allegedly shooting and wounding his sister, Josephine Chilufya, 53, using a pistol.
The incident came barely six months after he was acquitted of defiling a minor and less than five years after he was cleared of raping a Grade 12 pupil
