A DRUG Enforcement Commission (DEC) officer has told court that Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Colonel Dexter Maseka who denied knowing former ZAF commander Eric Chimese’s properties in court, gave a contrary statement to the investigating officers.
Ms Miriam Mubialelwa, a senior investigations officer, said after further investigations, Maseka said he fixed aluminum windows at the nine houses purportedly belonging to Lieutenant General Chimese.
She said when Maseka appeared before Magistrate Nsunge Chanda, he gave a contrary statement regarding the Ibex Hill properties purporting that he knew nothing about the Ibex Hill properties.
In this matter, Maseka, a procurement officer of Chamba Valley, is charged with perjury contrary to Section 104 (1) of the Penal Code, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
It is alleged that on July 9, 2019 in Lusaka, Maseka gave false information to Magistrate Chanda that he knew nothing relating to the alleged Chimese properties along Twin Palm Road, in Ibex Hill, when in fact not.
Maseka when called to testify in Chimese’s case, told the court that he did not know anything about the property allegedly belonging to Chimese. When the case came up for trial on Thursday, Ms Mubialelwa narrated that in July 2018, DEC received information alleging that Chimese was engaged in some illegal activities. She said among the allegations raised was that, he was trying to conceal properties in Ibex Hill where he built a single store house, nine flats, among others.
She said Chimese however claimed the house and nine flats belonged to Chita Lodges.
Ms Mubialelwa said DEC later received information that furniture in the nine flats was being moved, a development which prompted the commission to launch investigation to establish the actual owner of the Ibex Hill properties.
She said during investigations, she interviewed a ZAF Officer Major, Cephas Mudaala, who informed her he was a project manager at the properties, from 2012 to 2014.
“Maj Mudaala said in 2014, he travelled to South Africa to attend a training course and handed over supervision of works at the Ibex properties to Maseka,” she said.
Ms Mubialelwa said on January 2, 2019, she called Maseka to state the role he played on the properties but he denied working there.
“After further interrogations on a later date, Maseka said he fixed aluminum windows and helped correct some sewer pipes at the Ibex Hill properties,” she said.
She said during pre-trial, Maseka maintained he fixed aluminum windows at the Ibex Hill properties but that when he appeared before Magistrate Chanda, he gave a contrary statement.
The matter was adjourned to January 16 2020 for cross examination.