Lawyers Ask Court To Dismiss Chilufya Case

Lawyers for health minister Chitalu Chilufya have asked the Lusaka Magistrates Court to clear him of corruption charges, claiming that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is not ready to proceed with prosecution. 

The plea comes after the ACC sought an adjournment to the case on the grounds that two of its staff members have tested positive for Covid-19, including a lawyer handling the case. The ACC says this has made it difficult to retrieve the case records.

However, chief magistrate Lameck Mwale has refused to adjourn the matter, stating that he failed to see how the ACC are unable to retrieve the case files from their offices. 

Dr Chilufya is currently facing four counts of corruption for possessing property suspected to be the proceeds of crime. 

The health minister is accused of using over $200,000 of embezzled funds to purchase shares in the Samfa Marines, land for a guest house, and a speedboat. 

His lawyer, Tutwa Ngulube, has questioned the ACC’s grounds for seeking an adjournment, insinuating that the prosecution is playing for time.

“If the state is not ready, let them discharge the accused and come back when they are ready to prosecute the case. Do the witnesses sleep at ACC or come from ACC? The reason is not sufficient enough, the state should be ordered that we proceed this afternoon or if the worst comes to the worst, the accused be discharged,” he said.