Party leader, Mwenda, pleads not guilty to unlawful assembly, escape from lawful custody

Kasonde Mwenda, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, has pleaded not guilty to unlawful assembly and escape from lawful custody.

Mwenda is jointly charged with 20 others who include; George Mumbi, Zenis Daka, Bale Suzo, Ibrahim Mwamba, Joseph Lungu, Danny Kalenga, Nathan Kamau, Gift Nguni, Jeff Filamba and Thomas Mvula.

Others are: Nkole Mubanga, Changala Siame, Astone Mwanza, Bwalya Katongo, Victor Malauni, Coaster Museke, Collins Munyinda, Moses Nyirenda, Beatrice Pilo and Gilbert Njobvu.

When the matter came up Wednesday for plea at the Lusaka magistrate court, magistrate Amy Masoja amended the indictment and read the charges to the accused persons. The 20 persons pleaded not guilty but one accused person accepted the charge.

Thomas Chibeza Mvula accepted the charge of unlawful assembly and the court found him guilty and convicted him accordingly.

“I’m accused number 11, I admit the charge, I have withdrawn the agreement with counsel and am presenting myself,” he informed the court.

The defense team did not object and said the other accused persons where still being represented by them.

Facts of the matter read that on March 10, 2023 at around 12 hours, police officers received information from reliable sources that there was an unknown people assembled at the Lusaka’s Civic Center Area with an intent to cause a breach of peace.

Acting on the matter the police officers from Lusaka central police arrested the accused person and was taken to the police central where detective inspector Mooya interviewed him and he admitted the charge.

In mitigation, Mvula said he was really sorry for the act and it is not going to happen again.

The court ruled that he was a first offender and did not waste the courts time.

“You are a first offender and did not waste courts time. But to deter the would-be offenders, I sentence you to three months imprisonment, but I shall suspend it for six months,” she ruled.

Matter comes on August 16, for trial for the other accused persons who denied the charge.

In count one, it is alleged that Mwenda, Mumbi, Daka, Suzo, Mwamba, Lungu, Kalenga, Kamau, Nguni, Filamba, Mvula, Nkole, Siame, Mwanza, Katongo, Malauni, Museke, Munyinda, Nyirenda, Pilo and Njovbu on March 10, 2023, in Lusaka, with intent to carry out some common purpose, jointly and whilst acting together did conduct themselves in such a manner as to cause persons in the neighbourhood reasonably to fear that the persons so assembled will commit a breach of peace, or will by such assembly needlessly and without any reasonable occasion, provoke other persons to commit a breach of peace.

In count two, it is alleged that Mwenda on the same date being a person under the custody of Lusaka Central police did escape from such lawful custody.

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