Pilato gets K30,000 bail

By NATION REPORTER SATIRICAL singer Chama Fumba, alias, Pilato, who is charged with disobeying lawful order, was granted a K30, 000 bail in his own recognizance by the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and his vice Geoffrey Mwamba were present in court in solidarity with Fumba.

Last week Principal Resident Magistrate Mwaka Mikalile revoked Fumba’s police bond for missing court after he went into self-imposed exile in South Africa on grounds that there were threats on his life for releasing his ‘Koswe Mumpoto’ song deemed vile to some Zambians.

This is a case in which Fumba, human rights activist Laura Miti, Patriots for Economic Progress (PEP) president Sean Tembo, Zambia Council for Social Development director Lewis Mwape, Mika Mwambazi, and Bornwell Mwewa have been jointly charged with one count of disobeying lawful order when they held a protest last September against government’s purchase of 42 fire trucks all worth US$42 million.

When the matter came up yesterday for ruling on defence lawyer Keith Mweemba’s application for restoration of Fumba’s police bond, Ms. Mikalile said the court had discretion to restore a police bond.

She said after viewing the video footage Fumba adduced as part of his evidence of threats on his life, she was satisfied that some people threatened the singer’s life and that he could not be faulted for not appearing in court since the matter started early this year.

“The State has a duty to protect all its citizens and such threats have to be investigated so that culprits are brought to book,” Ms. Mikalile said.

She said in view of the circumstances, Fumba could not enjoy same privileges of the police bond as his co-accused persons.

She said that Fumba also took unnecessarily long to return home and appear in court, thereby wasting the court’s time.

Ms. Mikalile granted him a K30, 000 bail in his own recognizance with two traceable sureties working for reputable organisations.

Mr Hichilema and Mwamba praised the court for giving Fumba an achievable bail.

“The bail is not too onerous as the case of our brother (Fresher) Siwale (New Labour Party leader) who was given onerous bail conditions. It is as good as denying a citizen bail and that is against the Constitution, against the Bill of Rights.

“On that score we are reasonably comfortable that the court has today discharged this duty within the legal provisions of our country. This is the way it should be but we also expect that the case could be disposed of quickly so that people can get on with their lives,” Mr. Hichilema said.