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Detective Inspector, Arnold Kawangu’s testimony in the Sedrick Kasanda aggravated robbery case may have exposed significant flaws in the investigation.
On the witness stand, Kawangu admitted that no formal complaint was lodged at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) police station and that there was no relevant CCTV footage related to the crime.
He confessed to charging Kasanda with aggravated robbery based solely on the docket, rather than on evidence from a thorough investigation.
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Under questioning by High Court Judge Chilombo Maka, Kawangu revealed that he had neither visited the crime scene nor interviewed the alleged victim, Egyptian Michael Adel Botros, or his bodyguard.
Kasanda had been accused of stealing US$5 million from Botros, allegedly with the help of unidentified accomplices, and armed with a pistol.
Kawangu described being summoned to the Command Centre on September 8, where he reviewed a docket claiming that Kasanda and others had threatened Botros at Skyways private hangar at KKIA, demanding the bag containing US$5 million.
During cross-examination by defense lawyers, Clement Andeleki, James Kayula, and Nkula Botha, Kawangu acknowledged discrepancies in his testimony.
He confirmed having a certificate in investigation and 18 years of service with the Zambia Police but admitted that the Occurrence Book (OB) did not mention aggravated robbery and there was no record of such a complaint at KKIA or any other police station in Zambia.
Kawangu admitted that proceeding with a docket without a formal complaint was not standard practice.
Further scrutiny revealed that he did not visit the hangar, verify the number of pistols involved, or request CCTV footage, which he claimed was unavailable due to technical issues.
Paul Chola’s questioning uncovered additional gaps: Kawangu was not present at KKIA during the alleged crime, did not interview the private hangar’s security or Botros’s bodyguard, Mr. Buda, and failed to check if Botros declared $5 million upon arrival or if the cargo manifest indicated such a large sum.
Kawangu also admitted that he did not lift fingerprints from the firearms or Kasanda and was unaware if the purported $5 million was documented or if Botros would testify in court.
His only role appeared to be the arrest of Kasanda, based on a file review that lasted only a few hours.
Further questioning revealed a letter prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), referencing aggravated robbery. Kawangu admitted seeing the letter and that senior officer Mr. Allan Mbawe was involved in signing it, though he could not recall preparing the document himself.
In the letter dated February 26, 2024, Mbawe informed the DPP that the evidence gathered was insufficient to charge Kasanda with aggravated robbery.
Justice Maka adjourned the case to August 20, to allow the two expected Egyptians to testify.
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