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Expelled Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) national secretary Richard Kachingwe has today told the Lusaka magistrate court how he was allegedly dragged, beaten and handed over to an angry mob of youths.
Major Kachingwe, who appeared before Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Joshua Banda, told the court that despite his body stature, he could not defend himself from the angry mob of youths who allegedly beat him up mercilessly.
This is in matter where Maj. Kachingwe is alleged to have been assaulted by Watson Mtonga, Bomani Lusambo, Scorpion Kadobi and Chiwele Maimisa.
It is alleged that the four accused persons on December 1, 2012, while in Lusaka, did jointly and whist acting together with others unknown assault Maj. Richard Kachingwe thereby occasioning actual bodily harm.
Maj. Kachingwe, who has since insisted that he will remain secretary general of the MMD party until he challenges his expulsion, further told the court that on the material day, he was assaulted as he was addressing journalists and meeting party vice president for politics Brian Chituwo and the current another senior MMD official Kabinga Pande.
In his testimony to the court, Maj. Kachingwe said soon after addressing journalists, he saw one of the accused assailants, Mr. Mtonga open the door to his office and started telling him that he (Mtonga) was not happy with his decision of invalidating Dr. Nevers Mumba’s presidency.
He said Mtonga worked around Dr. Mumba therefore his (Maj. Kachingwe) action would negatively affect them.
He explained that he then heard people shouting from outside saying “Alikuti! Achoke! Achoke! meaning where is he? Let him come out! Let him Come out!.
Maj. Kachingwe said at that point, he looked through the window of his office and saw a group of youths demanding that he comes out of the office.
He said he at that point sensed danger and could not walk out.
He said to his surprise, Mtonga, Lusambo, Kadobi and Maimisa forcefully enter his office and started dragging, beating and pushing him out of the office to the gate where they beat him more while dragging him on Nyati close where the MMD secretariat is.
Maj. Kachingwe told the court that he saw Mr. Lusambo issuing instructions to the youths that were beating him to beat him even more.
Maj. Kachingwe however informed the court that he was shocked to see Mr. Lusambo, who he said most of the time visited his house, instructing boys to beat him up like a thief.
He explained that he fell to the ground on the road and saw a vehicle, namely Jeep, coming.
He said he decided to rush to the vehicle and jumped onto it without knowing who the owner of the vehicle was.
Maj. Kachingwe said he was rushed home where he rested and later realised that he had bruises on his toes as he was dragged bare footed.
He told the court that he then decided to report the matter to central police where he was given a police report and medical report after which he went to Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital where he was treated of the wounds.
Maj.Kachingwe narrated to the court that on two occasions, the police called him to identify his assailants from a parade where he identified Mtonga, Lusambo, Kadobi and Maimisa.
He further told the court that as he was being pushed, he noticed that some of the boys that were pushing him meant well since they were rushing him away from harm.
Meanwhile, defence lawyer, Mckebby Zulu, has applied for an adjournment of the case so that he can bring him some evidence based on the footage from the secretariat and the assignment programme which Muvi TV aired on where Maj. Kachingwe told the nation during that he was not beaten.
Mr. Zulu said he could not proceed with cross examination as the complainant had accused people who according to the evidence of the defence, were at no point seen beating or dragging him during the occasion.
And magistrate Banda adjourned the matter to March 14th for a mention, 28th for commencement of trail and April 2nd and 4th, 2013 as dates for continued trial.
