JOIN DRIVERN TAXI AS PARTNER DRIVER TODAY!
TWO Police officers from the protective unit in Kabwe today appeared for trial before Kabwe principle resident magistrate John Mbuzi for soliciting a bribe contrary to the ACC Act. The two are alleged to pretended to be detective officers but were from the protective unit.
And there was drama in court when lawyers from the ACC and those defending the cops exchanged words over legal jargon and magistrate Mbuzi had to adjourn hearings into the chambers on two occasions as arguments were becoming more personal than professional among the lawyers.
According to the charge the two Roy Sitenge and Changano Changano are alleged to have solicited for a bribe from Gift Lumayi, a teacher in order for them to drop charges of being found in possession of a stolen computer.
The cops are being represented by lawyers Kamo Simfukwe and Tutwa Ngulube while the ACC are being represented by Mateo Kamanga and McQueen Zaza, both advocates of ACC.
In a packed courtroom mostly by police officers who came to give solidarity to their colleagues, Lumayi told the court that the duo, between August and September, 2012 did solicit for KR800 but he reported the matter to the ACC who gave him K500,000 marked notes of K50,000 to give to the cops.
Lumayi said he gave the money to Changano at Finance Bank, Kabwe and shortly afterwards the officers from ACC apprehended him when he attempted to use the money.
He was then arrested and charged for soliciting and receiving a bribe.
The money was recovered and tendered as exhibit in court but Changano claimed the money was meant for the fish which Lumayi got from Sitenge on credit.
Meanwhile, Ngulube whose application to join the defense team was only submitted today got engaged into exchange of words with his colleagues from the ACC causing many interruptions to proceedings.
ACC lawyers objected to Ngulube’s antics of asking the witness confusing questions. Zaza reminded Ngulube to leave legal jargon to the legal fraternity but Ngulube responded that he was too senior to
be corrected by Zaza. “Your honor I would like to respond to the objections being made by Mr. Zaza, I would like to remind him and put it on record that he is too junior to me”, said Ngulube
He objected to what Zaza called a friendly joke with the other defence lawyer Simfukwe denying that Zaza and Simfukwe were not friends as such they cannot joke but Magistrate Mbuzi ruled that all lawyers are friends.
This caused Magistrate Mbuzi to adjourn the session on two occasions and after the final adjournment.
