Doctor defends Malanji sick note
By Esther Chisola
A MEDICAL doctor from the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) has told Lusaka magistrate Ireen Wishimanga that he attended to a patient by the name of Joel Malanji.
Dr Beros Bangu said the name Joel Malanji is what appears in the hospital registry system once the patient’s number is entered.
Dr Bangu, who is also a part-time doctor at the Lusaka Trust Hospital, was testifying after the Court subpoenaed him to explain why the medical sick note issued to former minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji had Joel Malanji instead of Joseph Malanji.
“I did attend to a patient by the name of Honourable Joel Malanji. The name appeared as Joel Malanji because that is what is in our hospital registry system,” he said.
However, Wishimanga gave Malanji the benefit of the doubt and adjourned the case to Monday next week, September 1, to allow the accused to recuperate.
In this case, Malanji and former Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba are jointly charged with 10 counts of possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Allegations are that between January 2020 and August 2021, Yamba, serving as Secretary to the Treasury then, irregularly authorised the transfer of K108 million to the Zambian Mission in Turkey for real estate procurement.
Malanji is accused of possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Among the properties Malanji has been dragged to court for are a Bell 430 helicopter, a Bell 206 Jet Ranger, the Gibson Royal Hotel, and three houses in Silverest.
Wishimanga was expected to deliver her judgment yesterday, but could not do so because Malanji was not before the Court as he was reported to be unwell.
Meanwhile, in a similar case, magistrate Silvia Munyinya adjourned to September 30, this year, the judgement in which former Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General, Kingsley Chanda and his co-accused, former Director of Administration, Calistus Kaoma are charged with willful failure to follow procedure.
In this matter, Chanda and Kaoma are facing 22 counts of willful failure to comply with the procedure relating to 22 motor vehicles.
When the matter came up for judgment yesterday, magistrate Munyinya informed the duo that judgment was not ready.
“Unfortunately, the judgment is not ready. I had an overwhelming administrative work. Judgement will be ready on September 30, 2025,” she said.
It is alleged in count one to three, that Dr Chanda and Kaoma, between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2020, in Lusaka, being public officers namely, commissioner general and director administration respectively, at ZRA, a public body, willfully failed to comply with the applicable law and procedure relating to the disposal of property in the manner they disposed motor vehicles namely, Mitsubishi Pajero bearing registration number ABK 6092, ABF 8339 and ABF 3858, the property of ZRA.
In count four to eight, it is alleged that Dr Chanda and Kaoma, during the same period, willfully failed to comply with the applicable law and procedure relating to the disposal of property in the manner they disposed motor vehicles namely, Nissan Hard body bearing registration number ABL 6927, Nissan Tiida bearing registration number ABV 5918 Toyota Corolla bearing registration number ABZ 7209 and a Mitsubishi Pajero registration number ABL 3850, the property of ZRA.
In the rest of the counts, the vehicles involved are; Nissan Microbus ABP 6406, Mitsubishi Pajero ABP 8128, Mitsubishi Pajero ABR 9683, Mitsubishi Pajero ABL 3751, Toyota Hilux ABM 8166, Toyota Hilux ABM 8166, Mitsubishi Pajero ABL 3753, Mitsubishi Pajero ABL 3851, Mitsubishi Pajero ABM 987, Mitsubishi Pajero ABR 9679, Toyota Hilux ALC 9120, Toyota Hilux ALC 9123, Toyota Prado ABV 2201, Mitsubishi Pajero ABL 2465 and Mitsubishi Pajero ABR 9684.
