The Lusaka Magistrate’s Court has found three men with a case to answer in a matter they are accused of trafficking in 24 kilogrammes of cocaine which went missing last month at court. Sydney Kapembwa, 33, an assistant manager, Shaibu Likuta, a 42-year-old Tanzanian conductor, and Teddy Matanda, 35, a taxi driver, are charged with six counts of trafficking in narcotic substances and possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The trio denied the offences which were allegedly committed in 2016.  When the matter came up for ruling yesterday before chief resident magistrate Kenneth Mulife, the trio was found with a case to answer

Magistrate Mulife passed the ruling in the absence of both the State and the defence’s submissions. “Both the defence and the State failed to file submissions by the stipulated dates. Therefore, the ruling is devoid of their submissions,” he said. Magistrate Mulife said, however, that the absence of the two parties’ submissions is not prejudicial to his ruling.

“I have carefully considered the evidence on record whereupon I am satisfied that the State has established prima-facie cases of all the offences herein against the respective accused persons,” he said and put them on their defence. The matter was adjourned to next week Tuesday and Friday for defence. Other dates for hearing are October 1 and 2 this year. The prosecution had proposed later dates for defence but magistrate Mulife opted that the matter be heard soon. “Don’t go very far on dates. We have to conclude this matter very soon,” magistrate Mulife said.