Trial in Given Lubinda’s assault case fails to commence
By Staff Reporter
TRIAL in the case in which five men are in court for allegedly assaulting and proposing violence to Justice minister Given Lubinda this morning failed to commence because the minister is out of the country.
Martin Mambwe, a driver and four others; Patrick Mubanga, 40 a business executive, Major Chansa, 35 business man, Moses Mulenga, 33, business executive and businessman Goodson Mwale, 45 are charged with proposing violence to Lubinda who is also Kabwata PF member of parliament.
The five appeared before chief resident magistrate Lameck Mwale in a packed courtroom.
Mambwe is also charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
It is alleged that Mambwe on July 12, 2019 assaulted Lubinda occasioning him actual bodily harm.
In the second count of proposing violence or breach of the law to assemblies, Mambwe, Mwale, Mubanga, Mulenga, Chansa on July 12 this year whilst acting together allegedly proposed violence to Lubinda by saying; “We will beat you next time you step your foot in Kabwata market”.
When the case was called by public prosecutor Stuyvesant Malambo, he said the State was not ready to commence trial because Lubinda, whom they wish to start with, was reportedly out of the country.
He applied for an adjournment and the accused persons lawyer Aggripa Malando did not object in the interest of justice.
Magistrate Mwale adjourned the case to August 20.
Meanwhile, supporters of the accused persons after the adjournment sang songs of praises in solidarity of their colleagues.
The supporters, who filled the courtroom to capacity, said they came to court to support the accused persons and not Lubinda.
The accused persons are on K5,000 cash bail each with two working sureties who are residents of Lusaka and bound in the sum of K10, 000 each.
