By 
Lusaka High Court Judge, Charles Kafunda, has declared alleged kidnapper, James Bwalya, physically fit to stand trial.
Justice Kafunda has, therefore set June 5,2023, as the date on which Bwalya and his co-accused, Mathews Sikaonga, alleged to have abducted Pamela Chisumpa and 12 other women in Lusaka, will take plea.
The duo are facing 54 counts of ggravated robbery, assault,rape, and abduction.
This follows a latest medical report presented to court by Consultant Orthopedic and Spine surgeon, University Teaching Hospitals-Adult, Dr Brian Sonkwe.
Dr Sonkwe submitted to court that Bwalya’s spine condition had significantly improved.
“He reports significant reduction in the pain at the sight of injury. He is mobile in a corset and without walking aid or assistance. The tenderness reduced at the site of the injury and now continued to L2-L4. The neurology has remained the same as of the last review X-ray does not show any significant increase in the deformity,” read part of the report .
The Consultant recommended for Bwalya to sit continuously maximum of two hours in a corset .
Dr Sonkwe also advised the patient not to engage in strenous activities such as lifting loads or bending.
“I now declare accused number one fit to stand trial as the primary condition of pain which impended his ability to stand trial or proceedings has now improved,” he declared.
Defence counsel, Osborne Ngoma, had applied that his client (Bwalya) was not physically fit to stand trial as he experienced excruciating back pain.
Bwalya is alleged to have damaged his spine after he fell off the fence of Mwembeshi Maximum prison in an attempt to escape.
The 13 young women, nine students and four mobile money agents, were in October, 2022, rescued from a house in Lusaka’s Chalala.
One of the victims gave birth to a baby boy shortly after the rescue.
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