Ex-ZRL finance chief denied bail

FORMER Zambia Railways Limited director of finance and administration Regina Mwale has been denied bail pending appeal following her conviction for corruption and abuse of authority of office involving K144,000.
This is in a case in which Mwale applied for bail pending appeal against an 18-month prison sentence slapped on her by the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court.

Ndola principal resident magistrate Obbister Musukwa, sitting in Lusaka, denied Mwale bail on grounds that she had not provided sufficient reasons to warrant bail.
Mr Musukwa said the reasons adduced by Mwale that she would have served a considerable amount of her sentence by the time her appeal would be heard by the High Court was insufficient.

He said there should be exceptional circumstances for the court to grant bail but that the appellant had failed to disclose such circumstances for the court to release her on bail.
“Granting of bail is at the discretion of the court and exceptional circumstances must be disclosed before the court can consider releasing a convict,” he said.

Mr Musukwa, however, granted Mwale leave to appeal to the High court against her conviction and sentence.
Mwale has appealed against her sentence, contending that Ndola principal resident magistrate Obbister Musukwa erred in law and fact when he found her guilty of corruption when there was insufficient evidence.