Jerabos found with case to answer

THE Kitwe High Court has put two members of a notorious Kitwe gang commonly known as jerabos on their defence after finding them with a case to answer for assault.

Simeon Kalobo and Geoffrey Venda were charged with aggravated robbery which was later reduced to assault, occasioning actual bodily harm.
Justice Timothy Katenekwa reduced the charge after observing that the state failed to prove a case of aggravated robbery.
“From evidence before me, the issue of money was raised later and I have doubts in my mind. I find that the state has proved a case of assault between the two accused, and I therefore put them on their defence,” Justice Katenekwa said.
This is in a matter in which Kalobo, believed to be leader of small-scale miners, and his co-accused Venda, are charged with aggravated robbery contrary to the laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the offence are that Kalobo and Venda, on August 10 this year, in Kitwe, while armed with a weapon, stole K7, 000 cash from Terry Kayamba.
During trial, Kayamba testified that on the material day, he went to the slag dump commonly known as the black mountain in the company of his friend.
He testified that whilst at the site, Kalobo and Venda came and a quarrel ensued.
Kayamba said Kalobo then hit him on his upper lip and he sustained a deep cut and he later went to the police station where he was issued with a medical report.
The court heard that the complainant went to Kitwe Central Hospital and that whilst being attended to by a doctor, Kalobo in the company of four others, dragged him outside where they stabbed him in the buttocks three times.
He said the accused then dragged him into a Toyota Land Cruiser where they continued assaulting him and robbed him of his K7,000.
The matter was later reported to the police and the two were charged and arrested for aggravated robbery.
Meanwhile, the case in which Albion Export Services country representative Costain Simamba is charged with the assault of Patriotic Front member Charity Chanda has been adjourned to allow the two to reconcile, CAROLINE KALOMBE reports in Lusaka.
In this case, Simamba is charged with assault, occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to the Laws of Zambia.
When the case came up for trial before magistrate Allen Mweene, the state said they had lined up five witnesses, but that they had received instructions from the complainant that she wished to reconcile with Simamba.
The state said the two needed time to conclude the reconciliation, hence the request for an adjournment.
And three Lusaka lawyers have dragged former Finance deputy minister Newton Ng’uni to court demanding the payment of legal fees amounting to over K2 million for representing him in a case against suspended Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mutembo Nchito.
This is according to a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, by lawyers Keith Mweemba, Gregory Phiri and Makebi Zulu.

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