ZAF colonel denies lying in court
And Transport and Communications minister, Mutotwe Kafwaya, said yesterday the government will support Proflight’s increase its daily flights to Johannesburg to provide a service to the business seater in the two countries.
Meanwhile, Mr Kafwaya disclosed that works on the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport have reached close to 90 percent completion while works on the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola was at 40 percent completion stage.
And director for Government and Industry Affairs, Phill Lemba, says he was delighted to witness the growth of Proflight Zambia which started from a five seater aircraft but today has launched the second daily flight to South Africa. A ZAMBIA Air Force colonel yesterday denied giving false information to a Lusaka Magistrates Court in a case involving former ZAF commander Eric Chimese, who is accused of concealing property believed to be proceeds of crime, among other charges.
Dexter Maseka, 43, who was a State witness is charged with perjury contrary to Section 104 (1) of the Penal Code, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
It is alleged that on July 9, 2019, in Lusaka, Maseka gave false information to magistrate Nsunge Chanda that he knew nothing about Chimese’s alleged properties on Twin Palm Road, Ibex Hill, Lusaka when in fact not.
When the matter came up before magistrate Alice Walusiku, Maseka denied the charge.
The matter has been adjourned to October 1, 2019 for trial.
Maseka allegedly gave a different testimony to the court from that of his witness statement to the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers, an act which amounted to perjury.
Allegations are that Maseka gave false information to magistrate Chanda when he denied knowing any property belonging to Chimese.
Chimese is charged with his wife Sharon Gray Chimese and James Chungu with five counts of abuse of authority, money laundering and concealing property.
Maseka had earlier testified that on January 7, 2019, he was summoned by officers from DEC Anti-Money Laundering Unit who were investigating the properties owned by Chimese.
He said he told the officers that he did not know of any property for Chimese as he only interacted with him over the construction of a banquet hall at Chamba Valley ZAF Mess.
However, another witness, Caphas Mudala, a squadron pilot at ZAF who supervised the construction at Chimese’s premises in Ibex Hill, told the court that before he left for a flying course in South Africa in 2014, he handed over his responsibilities to Maseka.
And Martin Chanda, an electrician, told the court he was led to Chimese’s premises, Farm Number 2303/Q, by Maseka to install the electrical fittings, though he was not paid for the services.