A LUSAKA businessman accused of killing his MultiChoice Zambia former lover yesterday closed his defence in the matter without taking witnesses to aide him in the murder case. The verdict has been set for January 29 next year.

This is in a case Nshinka Kaputo,35, is facing one count of murdering his former girlfriend Precious Mangesana and another count of an act intended to cause grievous harm. It is alleged that on October 5, 2017, Kaputo shot dead Ms Mangesana, a MultiChoice employee of Meanwood in Lusaka. Further, it is alleged that on the same date, Kaputo shot his two-yearold daughter in the neck.

In April last year, Kaputo appeared before Lusaka High Court Judge Catherine Phiri and denied the charge. At trial, the court heard that the accused shot his ex-lover while fighting for the custody of his daughter, who in the process also got injured. The court also heard that Kaputo was allegedly a jealousy lover who once threatened to kill the victim. But in his defence, the accused claimed that Mangesana allegedly shot herself and that he can never injure a daughter he loves so dearly.

And when the matter came up for continued defence yesterday, Kaputo’s lawyer told the court that his client will not bring witnesses and that he wished to close his defence. In the earlier sitting in August this year, during his defence, Kaputo informed the court that he would call five witnesses. “The matter was supposed to come up for continued defence.

However, after viewing the evidence, I ‘m advised that he (Kaputo) does not intend to call witnesses and so he is closing defence,” the lawyer said. Judge Phiri then ordered the State to file written submissions by November 29 and the defence to file theirs by December 19 this year. The court set January