By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –
A traditional healer in Lusaka has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault.
Chileya Chilufya, commonly known as Dr Kalonga Kanono, has since been released on K2,000 bail pending trial.
Lusaka Magistrate Prince Mwiinga admitted Chilufya, who was charged for allegedly beating Oscar Mukadi on October 14, this year, to bail pending trial.
Chilufya, a business executive and the former Kanyama Constituency MMD treasurer, was on the same day alleged to have assaulted Coaster Mukadi.
Chilufya denied the charges.
After Mr Mwiinga entered pleas of not guilty in both counts, Chilufya’s defence lawyers applied to have their client admitted for bail pending trial.
The lawyers submitted that the offence that Chilufya was facing was bailable and that their client was of fixed abode.
The State, however, objected to Chilufya being granted bail on grounds that he had committed a series of similar offences.
The State urged the court not to grant him bail to prevent him from committing similar offences.
Mr Mwiinga observed in his ruling that the offence alleged to have been committed by Chilufya was bailable and that the allegations by the State were speculative in nature.
He granted Chilufya K2,000 cash bail and ordered him to present two sureties in the sum of K5,000, but in their own recognisance.
Mr Mwiinga also ordered that the two sureties be Lusaka residents and working in recognised organisations.
He adjourned the matter to February 10, 2016 for commencement of trial.
Meanwhile, a Lusaka lawyer and retired Zambia Air Force colonel Paul Banda, who in October, this year, is alleged to have shot dead his wife Vivian on her 59th birthday, yesterday appeared in a Lusaka magistrate’s court for another mention.
The State, however, informed Magistrate Jennifer Bwalya that instructions to have Banda committed to the High Court for trial were not ready.
The State said Banda’s docket had been returned from the Director of Public Prosecution’s office because there was no postmortem conducted on the deceased.
Banda, 61, of house number 30145 Chamba Valley, would again appear for mention on January 11, next year‎.