Zambia: Ex-Catholic Nun's Case Adjourned to July 11

14 June 2011

THE matter in which a former Catholic nun and two others who have been charged with giving police false news with intent to cause fear and alarm has been adjourned to next month to enable the three accused persons engage a lawyer.

Chingola magistrate Tamara Kakusa adjourned the matter in which Helen Lukanda, 43, an ex-nun and a teacher at Sekela High School in Chingola, Chezani Tembo 36 of Ndola's Peter Singongo Township and Emmanuel Paul Chibawa 30, of 20 Zambia Youth Avenue in Livingstone have been accused of giving false news to the police with intent to cause fear and alarm to July 11 this year.

The accused people are facing two charges and particulars of offence in the first charge are that the three between April 29 and May 14 this year jointly and whilst acting together published a rumour that Chibawa was abducted by Life Gospel Ministries Bishop Joseph Kazhila for ritual purposes, such rumour which caused fear and alarm to the public and likely to have disturbed public peace contrary to Section 125 Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

In the second charge, Lukanda on April 28, this year knowing that the information was false, gave it to detective chief inspector Mwenda knowing that such information would be likely to cause Inspector Mwenda to act in the manner he was not supposed to have acted contrary to Section 67 of Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

The accused persons denied the charges.

When the matter came up for trial yesterday, a member of the Catholic Church and a High Court advocate a Mr Mbulo said he was appearing in the court as a 'friend of the court' on behalf of the accused people for the purposes of bail application.

Ms Kakusa informed the court that the three were on June 3 this year granted cash bail of K1.5 million each and two working sureties each who reside in Chingola and signed bail of K5 million each in their own recognisance.

Lukanda told the court that she was released on bail but Tembo and Chibawa said that despite meeting bail conditions, they had not been released.

Ms Kakusa told the state to release the two before the end of the day.

Ms Kakusa also allowed the application for an adjournment to enable the three engage a lawyer.

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