. Mwale

By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –

THE Lusaka Magistrate court has set October 31, 2014 as date for judgment in a matter in which former mines minster Maxwell Mwale is charged with abuse of authority and receiving 5, 000 bicycles from a Chinese company worth more than K1 million.

The bicycles are suspected to be proceeds of crime.

Magistrate Lameck Mwale set the date after Mwale and his co –accused Zhonqui Mining International closed their defence on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Mr Mwale ordered the State to make its written submission to the court on August 31, 2014 while Mwale and Zhnoqui would respond on September 30, 2014.

Mwale is jointly charged with Charles Shi, a director at the Chinese mining company.

It is alleged in the first count that Mwale, between May 1, 2009 and August 31, 2011, abused the authority of his office by facilitating the issuance of mining licences to Zhongui International Mining Industry Group Limited.

Particulars indicated that this was in breach of the issuance of mining licences procedure.

In the second count, particulars are that between July 1 and August 31, 2011, Mwale is alleged to have imported 5,000 bicycles valued at more than K1 million suspected to be proceeds of crime.

Mwale closed his defence on Tuesday after former commerce minister Felix Mutati’s testimony that the memorandum of understanding on investment signed between the Zambian Government and Zhonqui had nothing to do with bicycles and that Zhonqui was invited to invest in Zambia at a cost of US$ 5 million.

Zhonqui closed its defence on Wednesday after it called its two last witnesses.

Mwale, who is former Malambo Member of Parliament, and the mining company were found with a case to answer in June 2013.