Court warns State in PIA bosses case
THE Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has warned the State to put its house in order in a case Pensions and Insurance Authority (PIA) Registrar Christopher Mapani is charged with two others for alleged abuse of authority of office.
In this case, Mapani, 44, of 393/35 Meanwood Airport, has been jointly charged with insurance regulator Nicholas Mbiya, 50, of 141, Ngwerere Avenue, Chelstone, and financial sector registrar Titus Mkhwale , 45, of 25731, Woodlands, all in Lusaka.
Particulars of the offence in the first count are that between January 1, 2018 and March 30, 2020 in Lusaka, the three as public officers directly or indirectly abused their position, office, or authority by approving Tobias Milambo as the principal officer for Ultimate Insurance Company, an arbitrary act prejudicial to the rights or interests of the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) or any other person.
In the second count particulars of offence are that between the same dates the three abused authority of their office by issuing a 2020 insurers’ licence to Ultimate Insurance Company Limited, an arbitrary act prejudicial to the rights or interest of the government or any other person.
When the case came up yesterday for commencement of trial before Magistrate Felix Kaoma, public prosecutor Jordan Busiku informed the court that the State was not ready to proceed because there were no witnesses present.
Mr. Busiku also informed Mr. Kaoma that his fellow prosecutor handling the case had been assigned to prosecute matters in the criminal session that opened in the High Court yesterday.
In response, defence lawyer James Mataliro said as the record would show, adjournments in the case had been occasioned by the State.
In his ruling Mr. Kaoma reluctantly granted the adjournment and warned the State to put its house in order failure to which he will be left with no option but to dismiss the case for want of prosecution.
He told the State to take the warning seriously after which he adjourned the case to tomorrow for mention and fixing of trial dates; and extended police bond for all the defendants.