.NEVERS

By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –
THE Lusaka magistrate’s court has set April 24 and May 6, as the new dates for mention in a case in which MMD president Nevers Mumba is charged with abuse of authority of office.
This was after the matter, which was scheduled for continued trial on Monday before Chief Resident Magistrate Joshua Banda, failed to take off because the trial court was indisposed.
The matter was, however, mentioned before Principal Magistrate Obister Musukwa.
When the matter was called up, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) prosecutor informed the court that the matter was scheduled for mention.
Mr Musukwa then set April 24 and May 6, 2014 as the dates for mention.
One of Mumba’s defence lawyers, Irene Kunda applied to have her client excused on April 24, as he would be out of the country.
The court granted the application, but his lawyers would appear for mention on his behalf.
Mumba is charged with one count of willful failure to comply with applicable procedure relating to management of public funds and abuse of authority.
It is alleged that Mumba, between June 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011, at the Zambian High Commission in Canada, being a person whose functions concerned the use of public revenue, willfully failed to comply with laid down procedures in receiving and disbursing of CAD$122,229.85, a donation to the Zambian Government by a private company Barrick Gold Corporation.
It is alleged further that Mumba had between October 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 abused his authority of office by awarding contracts valued at CAD$9,000, CAD$19,850 CAD$5,248 for electrical works, carpeting and construction of a deck at the Zambian High Commissioner’s residence in Canada to three Canadian private companies, Restcon Construction Services, Argos Carpet Limited and Stanmark Construction
without following laid down procedure.