Court orders trial-within-a trial in ritual killings case

By CHINTU MALAMBO THE saga surrounding suspected gruesome ritual killings that rocked Lusaka’s George and Zingalume compounds in 2016 will on January 30 go into a trial within a trial in respect of the first accused Lucky Siame.

This is in a matter in which two soldiers and two civilians face seven counts of murders.

The suspects are Siame, 46, a soldier of Lilanda Military Camp, Lewis Chishimba, a traditional healer of Lusaka West, Christopher Kasapo, an Office Assistant at the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) of Zingalume, and Elvis Nyanga, a soldier of Kandundu in Solwezi. In the last hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Mutakatala Mwiya, the arresting officer in the matter, testified before High Court Judge Florence Lengalenga that he discovered a horror video on one of the accused's cell phone showing human beings being murdered by way of removing their hearts, ears and male organs.

Detective Mwiya told the court that on April 16 2016, he received information from a reliable source that there was a traditional healer called Mumbo Lwambazi in George compound who was cleansing four people that were haunted by evil spirit.

“I received information that in George compound, there was a traditional healer whom I cane to know as Mumbo Lwambazi,

“I had an interview with him and he told me that he was approached by four people who were introduced to him by Lucky Siame and the same people told him that they had killed some people in George compound and were being haunted by spirits,” detective Mwiya said.

Detective Mwiya testified that he apprehended the suspects whom he verbally cautioned in connection to the matter. He told the court that upon searching the suspects, he recovered a cell phone from Christopher Kasapo and after searching it, he came across a horror video showing human beings being murdered by removing their hearts, ears and male organs.

Meanwhile, when Detective Mwiya testified that one of the accused persons Lucky Siame confessed to have worked with Collins (Elvis Nyanga), defence lawyer Humphrey Mweemba objected to the testimony arguing that the statement was not voluntarily obtained from his client but that it was obtained under torture. Mr Mweemba further requested that the case goes into a trial within a trial to prove that indeed his client willingly gave that statement.

However, Judge Lengalenga ordered for a Trail within a trial to test the voluntariness of Siame’s confession.