Court reserves ruling on Katanga’s bail appeal

THE Lusaka Magistrate Court has reserved ruling for bail pending appeal for convicted and jailed former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Charity Masambo Katanga to February 26, 2024.

In this matter Ms Katanga was sentenced to three years simple imprisonment for possessing ten Higer buses worth more than K26million deemed of being proceeds of crime.

Ms Katanga through her lawyers, Mr. Benjamin Mwewa, Mr, Isaac Simbeye among others filed before Chief Resident Magistrate Davies Chibwili bail pending appeal.

The defence noted that the offence for which Katanga stood charged was bailable and also that during the entire course of trial, she was on police bond, abided by the conditions of the bail in full and managed to attend court each time the matter came up for trial.

“I am likely to have served a substantial part of my sentence by the time the appeal is heard, therefore my continued stay in prison may be fatal and injurious,” read the affidavit.

When the matter came up yesterday the state said it would entirely rely on the affidavit in opposition to affidavit in support of summons for bail pending on appeal dated February 22, 2024.

“We shall also entirely rely on skeleton arguments in opposition of bail pending appeal filed on the same date,” the state submitted.

Mr. Simbeye also submitted that from the provisions at trial, the applicant is of fixed abode.

“And from that we urge this honourable court to find that there is high likelihood that the applicant will always be readily available to attend and anything this court may order once granted bail,” Mr. Simbeye said.

In response, Mr Chibwili said he went through the application and he will deliver the ruling on February 26, on whether Katanga’s bail application will be granted.