. HICHILEMA

By DELPHINE ZULU –
THE Lusaka High Court has set tomorrow as the day to commence trial in the much-awaited treason case involving opposition United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema and five others.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lillian Siyuni proposed the dates yesterday after the accused men finally took plea and denied the offence of treason before Mr Justice Charles Chanda in Courtroom One.
Hichilema, Hamusonde Hamukale, Pretorious Haloba, Laston Mulilanduba, Wallance Chakwa and Muleya Hachinda stand charged with one count of treason contrary to Section 43 (1) (d) of the Penal Code, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Hichilema’s treason case was called around 12:20 hours and immediately he and other five co-accused were ushered into a packed courtroom from the holding cells.
Chief Marshal Bright Simukoko called the treason case, read the particulars of the offence to them and then asked the accused, one by one, whether they understood the charge, to which they all individually agreed, each stating they denied the charge.
“Well, then the court has recorded a plea of not guilty in respect of all the six accused persons in the matter,” he said.
At this point, the DPP rose to make the brief statement that trial would commence on Wednesday (tomorrow), upon which the accused men were immediately led taken back to the holding cells.
As they left the courtroom, Hichilema, clad in a red shirt, gestured to the crowd which included
his wife Mutinta, Senior Chief Mukuni, Chief Hamusonde, UPND party vice-president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba and other senior party officials.
Hakainde is being represented by 19 lawyers.
A large number of party supporters, barred from the courtroom by the huge police presence and strict regulations enforced to maintain law and order around the court premises started trooping to the streets after the case was adjourned and sung solidarity songs.
Meanwhile, the DPP applied to have the particulars of the charge amended to include Lusaka and Western provinces, respectively, a request which Mr Justice Chanda allowed and asked her to file the substituted particulars.
“There being no objection from the defence lawyers over the application to amend the particulars, I hereby grant the application and the DPP to file the substituted particulars,” he said.
Particulars are that the six between April 5 and 8, 2017 in Lusaka and Mongu, respectively, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown, did endeavour to carry out, by force, an enterprise to usurp the Executive power of the State in a matter of both public and general nature by the following overt acts:
It is alleged that Hichilema and Haloba on April 5, 2017 in Lusaka jointly and whilst acting together did conspire to mobilise an advance party to ensure that Hichilema was to be accorded the status of the President of the Republic of Zambia at the Kuomboka traditional ceremony in Mongu.
And further that Hichilema, Hamaleke, Haloba, Mulilanduba, Chakawa and Hachinda on April 8, 2017 at Limulunga in Mongu jointly and whilst acting together with approximately 60 other unknown persons, and being in a convoy of motor vehicles on the Mongu-Limulunga Road, did obstruct the presidential motorcade, an act that was likely to cause death or grievous harm to the Zambian President, in order to usurp the Executive power of the State.