Lusambo unlawful assembly case stalls
By Thandizo Banda
THE matter in which incarcerated former Lusaka Province minister Bowman Lusambo has been dragged to court for unlawful assembly failed to take place Tuesday in the Kabwe magistrates court.
One of Lusambo’s co-accused, Saidi Chibwana, fell ill and was rushed to Kabwe Mine Hospital for medical attention.
Lusambo’s lawyer who is also defending the four others, Chandiwila Nyimbili of Makebi and Advocates, applied for the matter to stand down to enable him to follow up Chibwana at hospital and get a report on his medical status.
This forced Kabwe resident magistrate Gloria Chipasha to adjourn the case to wait for a medical report on whether Chibwana was fit to stand trial.
When the matter resumed, Nyimbili informed the court that Chibwana was unwell and therefore unfit to stand trial.
“Your Honour, we do understand that this matter has taken long to be concluded but under the current circumstances we have no option but to apply for an adjournment to allow the third accused person to recuperate,” he submitted.
State prosecutor Sikute Muliokela did not object to the application prompting Chipasha to adjourn the matter to May 14 and 23 for mention and possible start of defence.
Lusambo was in 2024 arrested in Kabwe when he stopped at Hungry Lion to buy ice cream.
He is accused of committing unlawful assembly.
It is alleged that Lusambo, together with PF Central Province chairperson Billy Sichamba, Saidi Chibwana, Mathews Changwe and Martin Simfukwe of holding an illegal meeting at hungry lion, a crime they have since denied.
