Court defers judgement in Amos Chanda’s insulting case for 6th time
THE Lusaka Magistrate Court yesterday failed to deliver judgement for the sixth time, in a case former Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda, his wife and his sister-in-law are facing obstructing and using insulting language against Anti-Corruption Commission officers.
Outgoing Chief Resident Magistrate, Dominic Makalicha had set February 15, 2024 for judgement but when the matter came up, state prosecutor, Ms. Georgina Zulu informed the court that the trial court was not present to deliver the judgement.
The case came before magistrate Idah Phiri who sat to mention the matter since the court handling it was not present.
Chanda, aged 50, of House No. 67, Elm Road in Woodlands, Lusaka was arrested together with his wife, Mable Nakaundi Chanda, 48, and his sister-in-law Ruth Nakaundi, 37, and pleaded not guilty to three counts.
Chanda is charged with one count of using insulting language contrary to Section 179 of Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia, and one count of obstruction contrary to Section 63 (c) of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 3 of 2012 while his wife Nakaundi and his sister-inlaw are jointly charged with one count of using insultinglLanguage and destruction.
In March 2022, the court found
Chanda and his co-accused with a case to answer and put them on their defence but Chanda informed the court that he shall opt to remain silent.
Meanwhile, his wife and his sister-in-law gave their defence and denied the allegations.
It is alleged in count one that Chanda on October 27, 2021, in Lusaka did use insulting language on three ACC Officers as they were executing their duties, conduct likely to give provocation to the named officers so as to cause them to break the peace or commit an offence.
In the second count, Chanda's wife and Nakaundi, on October 27, 2021, in Lusaka, whilst acting together did use insulting language repeatedly on named officers of the ACC, conduct likely to give provocation to the officers so as to cause them to break the peace or commit an offence.
Details in the third Count are that the trio, on the same date did obstruct and delay officers of the ACC in the lawful exercise of their duty to search House No. 67, Elm Road, Woodlands in Lusaka, when they stated that the keys to the bedrooms were with another person purported to have travelled out of town when in fact not.