‘I knew them as Chimese’s houses’

A KEY witness has testi ed that he knows everything about the construction of properties former Zambia Air Force (ZAF) commander Eric Chimese is accused of owning and hiding.

Mr. Pelekelo Muyunda, who worked as caretaker at the site, yesterday said in June 2012 he was rst employed with others to dig a foundation for the upstairs house opposite the ZAF Mess by Colonel Cephas Mudala who was the project supervisor.

Mr Muyunda said he was later employed as caretaker and Col. Mudala o ered him K600 as his monthly salary.

He said Col. Mudala informed him that Chimese owned the property and that his main duty was to look after building sand, blocks, tiles, electrical ttings and other materials stocked in two containers while the third container was for cement.

Mr Muyunda said Col. Mudala later introduced Chimese to him and other people working on the site as their boss.

He told Lusaka magistrate Nsunge Chanda that after an upstairs house was completed, a gymnasium and a servant’s quarters were built on the same plot.

Chimese is charged with Chita Lodges managing director James Chungu with allegedly concealing a single storey building, one guest wing, one semidetached cottage and nine ats.

In the other count Chimese is charged with his wife, Sharon, with allegedly owning two houses in Eureka area, knowing or having reason to believe that the said properties were proceeds of crime.

“ e building started in 2012 and nished around June 2015.

He (Chimese) told us that he had bought another plot and that we should clear it. On the second plot nine ats were built.