LUSAKA acting senior resident magistrate Trevor Kasanda has directed police in Lusaka to avail detained Lumezi member of parliament Munir Zulu before court today, so that he can defend himself for sedition.
Zulu’s lawyer Mcqueen Zaza informed the court that efforts to have his client who was in detention brought to Court to open his defense had proved futile.
He said Zulu’s sureties were also not before Court as they were attending parliamentary committees.
Magistrate Kasanda however guided that the sureties were supposed to be present in court to give an explanation regarding to the whereabouts of the accused.
Zaza requested for more time to engage the police and his client’s sureties.
Magistrate Kasanda adjourned the case to today and ordered that Zulu’s sureties attend Court without fail.
Last month Zulu was found with a case to answer for seditious practices so the he can prove his assertions that President Hakainde Hichilema would dissolve parliament and call for an early election.
Particulars of the offense in this matter are that the law maker on September 6, 2023 allegedly uttered seditious remarks when he alleged that he had reliable information that President Hichilema who was scheduled to address the nation in the third session of the thirteenth National Assembly on September 8, 2023, would dissolve parliament and call for an early election.
It is alleged that Zulu’s utterances were calculated to incite violence or any offence prejudicial to public order in disturbance of public peace when he alerted Zambians to prepare for campaigns following the dissolution of parliament.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba June 4, 2024.
