A woman  who was allegedly indecently assaulted and abducted by five other women after they suspected her of flirting with a married man has gone missing in unclear circumstances. When the matter came up for trial  before Ndola chief resident magistrate John Mbuzi, senior public prosecutor Varricious Nganga informed the court that the victim, who is the complainant in the matter, had gone missing.

And arresting officer in the case, Francis Banda of Masala Police Station, said he received a strange phone call from the complainant who told him that she was in Lusaka and would never get back to Ndola. “Your honour, I received summons for the witnesses and I only managed to find one witness. The father of the complainant indicated that his daughter left home and he is not aware of her whereabouts.

“I am not in a position to know where the complainant is. However, some few days ago, I received a strange call from a person identified as the complainant who indicated to me that she is in Lusaka and that she was not willing to appear or attend court,” he said.
The State said there was interference with the victim.

“We are convinced that the witness was interfered with. There is no any other way other than interference,” Mr Nganga argued. He applied to have the victim’s father explain where his daughter was. Lawyers representing the five women, Kenneth Tembo and Emmanuel Sichone, objected to the application.

Magistrate Mbuzi dismissed their objection and allowed the victim’s father, Sheikh Mwanakambwila, to tell the court where his daughter was.
Mr Mwanakambwila, a tomato seller at Masala Market, said he did not know where his daughter was. “I don’t know where my daughter is, and I am still looking for her. She left home on December 7 and that was the last time I saw her,” he said. At this point, the State applied to have bail revoked for the three women who were granted it on grounds that the victim was interfered with, hence her disappearance.

But defence lawyers contended that the State’s claim of interference was a mere statement which needed to be proved beyond reasonable doubt. In his ruling, magistrate Mbuzi said he could not revoke bail because there was no tangible evidence that the victim was interfered with.“I will grant two conditions: one, to issue summons to the witness and two; to compel the State to proceed without the witness,” he said. Magistrate Mbuzi adjourned the matter to January 7 next year for possible commencement of trial.

On December 1 this year, Precious Kapambwe, 25, Bridget Chisha, 21, Magrette Mwansa, 25, Catherine Banda, 29, and Maureen Mutale, 29, allegedly abducted the victim and subjected her to grievous bodily harm. The women further allegedly unlawfully indecently assaulted the victim.
They were arrested after the victim reported the matter to police after the attack, which was captured on video and went viral on social media.

On the material day in Ndola, the victim was taking beer at Start Point Bar at Masala Main Market with Harrison Mwanza, Kapambwe’s husband.
While at the bar, Kapambwe showed up in the company of her four friends. Upon seeing his wife, Mr Mwanza ran away and left the victim alone.

The victim was then allegedly bundled on a vehicle to Kapambwe’s home where she was indecently assaulted. And in the video that went viral on social media, some women are seen pinning the victim down and  forcing a bottle between her legs.