34 kilos exhibit drugs vanished, court told

A SENIOR clerk of court at the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court complex has testified that 34.0 kilograms of ephedrine valued at K1, 870,000, could not be traced on the day it was scheduled for destruction following a court order.

Didie Kangwa, 40, said the case record for the woman who originally trafficked in the ephedrine was not found.

He was testifying in a matter suspended Lusaka magistrate Maggie Tantameni is jointly charged with Felix Mkandawire, a court interpreter and Francis Mphanza a senior public prosecutor with three counts of abuse of authority, removal of property under lawful seizure and stealing of 34.0 kilograms of ephedrine valued at K1, 870,000.

Kangwa who was jointly charged in the matter was released after the State entered a nolle prosequi in his favor and later turned state witness.

In another court Kangwa is jointly charged with five other court officials and two businessmen for allegedly trafficking in 24.1 kilograms of cocaine.

When the matter came up yesterday before a Chisamba based magistrate, Susan Mangilashi, siting in Lusaka, Kangwa testified that in December 2017, he collected exhibits in form of drugs.

He made a list and submitted it to the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) for destruction.

Kangwa said on the day of destruction while loading the drugs, DEC inquired about two bags of ephedrine which were not on the list.

“I told DEC I had never seen the drugs before and they promised to bring more details. I checked together with them in the exhibit room but we did not find the said drugs they were looking for,” he said.

He said later, DEC brought up the name Beatrice Saili, the woman who was convicted and sentenced for trafficking in the said ephedrine.