THE Lusaka High Court has upheld the five year jail sentences slapped on former Finance Minister Katele Kalumba and three others for corrupt practices.
Mr Justice Evans Hamaundu sitting with High Court Judge-in-Charge Jane Kabuka said the subordinate court could not be faulted for slapping a custodial sentence against the four because they were guilty of the offences.
Katele, former directors of the defunct Access Financial Services Limited (AFSL) Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu and former Finance Permanent Secretary Stella Chibanda had appealed against the five-year jail sentence.
They had appealed on grounds that the lower court had erred both in law and facts when it found them guilty of the offences.
In a more than five-hour majority judgment prepared together with Judge Nigel Mutuna, Mr Justice Hamaundu said suspending, reducing or acquitting the quartet as they had contended in their grounds of appeal would be sending a wrong message to would be offenders.
Mr Justice Hamaundu said that it would not be in public interest to issue the four with a suspended sentence because it would send a wrong signal to would be offenders.
The Judge has meanwhile granted Katele, Chungu, Kabwe and Chibanda permission to appeal against their five years conviction.
Immediately after judgment was delivered, one of the defence lawyers Vincent Malambo informed the court that the four appellants were making an application to appeal to the Supreme Court.
He said this based on the provisions of section 14 (1) of the Supreme Act.
Mr Malambo said the four had ‘strong issues’ that they want to be addressed by the highest court of the land.
Mpumba Mikowa
June 26, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Law in zambia has selective targets.Kaka naiwe ifibuloshi nelyo walsambilila.When you served under FTJ as health minister you advised sexually active zambians wrongly.In the bible,God killed a man who spread the seeds outside a woman.What more what you suggested? Again you did something funny with a married woman in mufulira when you were campaign manager in the mmd.Why didn’t you lead by example and avoid Hiv?
Air Mukwai_
June 26, 2013 at 11:34 pm
I remember this story in Mufulira near the place called top-shop with the wife of D.K the owner of Kama restaurant where kaka used to have meals.
zambian
June 26, 2013 at 1:04 pm
yayayayaaaa!
Kalulete.
June 26, 2013 at 1:11 pm
All jokes. These thieves will appeal, get bonds and wait for the hearing which may take another two years. Remember that the sentence started running from the first judgment date. Ala twalichula naba bakoshe.
katwishi
June 26, 2013 at 1:13 pm
They are not in prison,y waste resources,remember FTJ
KASUGAN
June 26, 2013 at 6:35 pm
Let ‘em go in…
CNP-4U
June 26, 2013 at 8:44 pm
its ok.let them serve for stealing..