Charity Katanga gets K100, 000 bail

LUSAKA Chief Resident Magistrate Davies Chibwili has granted convicted former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Charity Katanga bail pending appeal of K100, 000 in her own recognisance with two working sureties.

He also ruled that Katanga's sureties should pay in their own recognisance amounts of K500,000 each and should be of fixed abode.

Mr Chibwili has also ordered Katanga to surrender her passport to the senior clerk of court.

In this matter, Katanga pleaded not guilty to corrupt practices involving more than K26 million.

The matter is in relation with the 10 Higer buses which have been properties reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime contrary to section 71(1) of the Forfeiture of the Proceeds of Crime Act No. 19 of 2010 of the laws of Zambia.

On February 19, the Lusaka Magistrate Court convicted and jailed Katanga to three years simple imprisonment for possession of 10 Higer buses proven to being proceeds of crime.

Katanga through one of her lawyers, Mr Isaac Simbeye applied for bail pending appeal asking the court to grant her bail, stating that she was of fixed abode and has followed all the court rules by not absconding court.

Katanga, said in her notice of appeal that her intention to appeal was that she was dissatisfied with the learned magistrate's judgement on February 19, 2024.

She submitted that the magistrate erred at law when he put her on defence instead of acquitting her at no case to answer stage and also he erred when he found that there was no reasonable suspicion that the 10 buses in possession of the appellant were proceeds of crime.