RDA proved G&G as contractor- witness

A WITNESS has testified that the Road Development Agency (RDA) confirmed the 20 percent subcontract G&G Nationwide Zambia Limited was awarded on the construction of the MansaLuwingu road.

And a bank compliance officer has told the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court that Access Bank Plc has never complained against G&G to the police.

This is in a matter where G&G Nationwide Zambia Limited director Christopher Banda has been accused of allegedly forging a contract in the name of then RDA director Charles Mushota and uttering it to China Henan International Corporation Group Company Limited before getting a contract dated October 14, 2013 and valued at US$1,168,052.

He is also accused of allegedly forging a National Council for Construction (NCC) contractor registration certificate and uttering it to China Henan.

But in cross examination yesterday by defence lawyer Jonas Zimba of Makebi Zulu Advocates, RDA registry clerk Ezilon Simwanza admitted that the contract number RDA/CE/014/12 was generated and signed within RDA.

Mr. Simwanza, who has worked in the RDA registry since 2007, further admitted that the contract was dispatched from the agency to China Henan.

In further cross examination by another defence lawyer Charles Changano, Mr. Simwanza confirmed that the accused person did not dispatch the contract to China Henan and in the same letter RDA confirmed G&G Nationwide’s 20 percent subcontract.

Asked by Mr. Changano if he was aware that there was performance on the contract, the witness said “it is difficult for me tell if there was performance because of my job description.”

Mr. Simwanza also said RDA’s confirmation of G&G’s subcontract was accompanied by the NCC contractor registration certificate, the company’s certificate of incorporation, share capital certificate; value added tax (VAT) registration certificate, and tax clearance certificate. Another witness Joseph Muombo, a compliance officer at Access Bank Plc told the court that the bank has not complained against G&G of any wrongdoing.

Earlier Mr. Zimba objected to Mr. Muombo’s testimony on grounds that he was not competent to talk about G&G’s two accounts held at Access Bank Acacia branch because they were opened in 2013 and the witness only joined the bank in July 2019.