Kalulu pleads not guilty

LOCAL Government Service Commission chairperson Christa Kalulu yesterday pleaded not guilty in court over allegations of abuse of authority in 2011.

Ms Kalulu is accused of failing to comply with applicable procedure when she awarded a road contract to Plinth Technical Construction Limited between August and September 30, 2011.
She is charged along with Plinth Technical Limited Construction Limited chairperson Peter Lubambo. The two are appearing before Magistrate Sylvia Munyinya.

They face one count of willful failure to comply with applicable procedures or guidelines relating to procurement.
Ms Kalulu is being questioned in the manner she signed the award of the road contract to Plinth Technical for the rehabilitation of a 15.04 km of Lusaka City urban roads without the ‘No objection’ from the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA), a matter concerning the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.

The matter had since been set for October 9, this year, for possible commencement of trial.
The defence lawyers raised concern over the delay to commence proceedings and asked the prosecutors to indicate the exact time trial would commence but the magistrate clarified that there was a shortage of a courtroom making it difficult for her to state the exact time.

Ms Munyinya, however, agreed with the defence team over the need for them and the court interpreter to agree on time, a day before the matter was scheduled to be heard.
Meanwhile, two Evelyn Hone College students in Lusaka yesterday appeared in the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court after spending two weeks in custody on allegations of inciting riots at the higher learning institution.
Likwanya Matomola and Madalosto Mvula both aged 24, from Lusaka’s Misisi and Kwacha East townships pleaded not guilty to one count of rogues and vagabonds.

They were accused of being found at Evelyn Hone College under circumstances that could be concluded as being illegal or for a disorderly purpose on July 23, this year.
Their lawyer Tutwa Ngulube applied for bail on grounds that his clients had been in custody for more than two weeks without appearing before any court and were charged with a bailable offence.
The court granted the two students bail of K500 with two working sureties each in their own recognisance.
Trial starts on September 17, this year.

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