DAILY NATION BOMBING RELIVED
“THE explosion from one of the bottles that was thrown in the Daily Nation premises meant to burn down the main building created a very bright light a few meters away from the main building but there was no response from the guard who was in the guard room,” a logistics and security manager at Daily Nation Newspapers has testified in the Lusaka Magistrates court.
Brian Chanda Lwando, 32, an employee at Daily Nation Newspaper Limited told the magistrates court yesterday that he suspected the guard on duty was intoxicated as he was staggering as captured by CCTV.
This in a case in which Henry Phiri, a former security guard at Panorama Security firm is facing one count of attempted arson contrary to the laws of Zambia.
When the matter came up for continued trial before Magistrate Judy Chiyaika, Lwando, testified that on the 9th July he received a phone call at around 22: 50 hours from Francis Malama one of the drivers at the company that there were people throwing petrol bombs in the yard.
“I then quickly rushed to the industrial area where Daily Nation is located and found the gate was locked when I arrived at around 23: 15 hours,’ he testified.
Lwando also testified that he was later given access to the premises by the guard on duty, Henry Phiri.
“As I was entering to park my vehicle, I smelled petrol, got chocked and saw broken pieces of a bottle from the entrance,” he said.
He said immediately he saw that there was another bottle in the yard, he advised that no one should touch the broken bottle and went to Matero Police Station to report the matter.
Lwando further testified that after reporting the matter, some officers accompanied him to the crime scene and they saw another bottle dangling by the wall fence.
He told the court that he had requested for a video from the company’s IT department to check what had transpired at that particular time.
He said from the video he observed that when the bottles were thrown, Mr Phiri was in the guard room and showed no reaction to what happened at the premises.
“The explosion from one of the bottles that was thrown in the premises created a very bright light but there was no response from the guard who was in the guard room,” he said.
Lwando further testified that after about 10 minutes Mr Phiri went to the gate to open for Mr Malama who informed him of the incident he had found when he drove in.
The matter has been adjourned to February 20 2018 for continued trial as two witness are yet to testify while the accused person’s bail has been extend to the same date.