LUSAMBO JAILED 2 YEARS

By Scoop Reporter

THE Luanshya Magistrate Court has found former Copperbelt and Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo guilty of assaulting former National Democratic Congress (NDC) party member Stanley Musukwa during a by-election in 2019 and has consequently handed him a two-year sentence with hard labour for unlawful wounding.

This is in a matter in which Mr. Lusambo was facing two charges of unlawful wounding and assault Occasioning Bodily Harm (OBH) contrary to Section 248 Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia, the case that involved Mr. Musukwa and Ms. Mary Musonda, both NDC members.

While he was acquitted on Ms. Musonda’s case due to insufficient evidence, Mr. Lusambo was convicted in absentia over Mr. Musukwa’s and an arrest warrant was issued against him.

Four days ago, police managed to fish Mr. Lusambo out of the ceiling of his house in Lusaka where he was reportedly hiding and was later transported to Luanshya for sentencing, leading to his 24-month jail term meted out today.

It is alleged that on April 11, 2019, Mr. Lusambo attacked Mr. Musukwa using a machete, causing severe head and facial injuries. During trial, Mr. Musukwa, 58, of 3947/27 Mpatamato Township, told the court that as a result of the injury, he lost sight in the left eye.

He informed the court that at the time, he was NDC Vice Chairperson for administration and was in the company of six others on the material day as they were returning from delivering food to his party agents in Roan constituency during the by-election when he met his fate around 04:00 hours in Section 27.

He explained that his team was aboard a Toyota Hilux when they found a Toyota Corolla, a blue big car, and a canter blocking the road and that the driver of his car started hooting for the cars to clear the way when six people, including Mr. Lusambo, approached the car he was in.

He told the court that Mr. Lusambo got into an argument with one of the occupants of the car Obedi Chompo when he jumped out of the van to see what was going on and that it was then that two people held him and started beating him using fists and kicks when Lusambo approached with a machete and struck him on the head twice and once on the forehead, thereby affecting his left eye.

He told the court that he sustained two deep cuts on the head and another deep cut on the forehead and a dislocated pupil which were recorded in the Medical Report Form which he submitted as evidence in court.

He further indicated that as a result of the beating, he was admitted to the hospital twice and underwent surgery on the head.