Just In! Govt drops charges against Kasanda in $5 million aggravated robbery case

The State has decided to withdraw its prosecution against Sedrick Kasanda in the US$5 million aggravated robbery case linked to a gold scam scandal.

This move comes after significant challenges in presenting the case, particularly the failure to secure critical Egyptian witnesses.

Kasanda faced accusations of orchestrating the theft of $5 million at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport last year.

The case had been fraught with difficulties for the prosecution, including repeated failures to bring witnesses from Egypt to testify.

Despite the State’s claims of having a strong case, these issues ultimately led to the decision to abandon the prosecution.

Read more: Key lapses reportedly uncovered in Kasanda aggravated robbery investigation

Justice Chilombo Maka, overseeing the trial, had previously ordered the closure of the case due to the State’s inability to produce the necessary evidence.

This morning, Deputy State Advocate, Richard Masempela, sought a further adjournment until Friday to address these issues.

However, Justice Maka denied the request, leaving the State with no viable options but to enter a nolle prosequi.

A nolle prosequi is a formal declaration by the prosecution to abandon a case.

While the immediate charges against Kasanda have been dropped, the State retained the right to rearrest him if new evidence emerges in the future.

The decision to drop the charges marks a significant turn in the high-profile case, which had attracted considerable attention due to its association with a large-scale gold scam and the complexities surrounding international witness testimony.

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