Africa-Press – Zambia. Nakacinda lied that Hichilema had a meeting with judges, police officer tells court RAPHAEL Nakacinda was lying through his teeth when he told the nation that President Hakainde Hichilema had dark corner meeting with judges, according to a police officer.
Testifying in the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court in a case where ‘Ras Naka’ is answering to charges of repealed defamation of the President, a detective chief inspector said at no point did President Hichilema have an appointment with judges.
On December 13, 2021 the accused, with intent to bring President Hichilema into hatred, ridicule and contempt caused the publication of defamatory matter when he aspersed that the Head of State was summoning judges at his residence, to coerce them into promoting totalitarian rule.
Testifying before magistrate Irene Wishimanga, Innocent Makukwani said during investigations, he interrogated senior private secretary to the President Alfred Chipoya who indicated that President Hichilema’s diary did not indicate that he had a meeting with adjudicators.
“This (Chipoya) is the man who makes appointments for people to see the President and the President’s diary for that week in the month of December showed that there was no appointment where the President met with any judcial officers ( judges),” said Makukwani.
“I charged him (Nakacinda) because of the defamatory remarks he uttered when he addressed a gathering at the High Court grounds in Lusaka.”
During cross examination by Nakacinda’s lawyer, Jonas Zimba the witness said he is not aware that the Head of State has expressed hatred against Nakacinda during a media briefing.
He said It’s normal for the President to meet judges, neither is it defamatory to assert that he has begun to meet judges. Following Mukukwani’s testimony, the State indicated that it had concluded its case. Magistrate Wishimanga adjourned the matter to April 19, 2023.
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