Kanene’s lawyer says victim has been paid to drop case

GENERAL KANENE’s lawyer Nicholas Chanda yesterday told the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court that his client’s relatives paid the woman that he allegedly assaulted to withdraw the case.

Submitting before principal resident magistrate Kenneth Mulife when the case came up for bail ruling, Chanda, who was responding to the state’s application to adjourn the matter because the witness had not shown up, said the complainant, Modrine Chisenga, would never appear in court to testify because she withdrew the matter after being paid K1,200.

In this case, Kanene, 31 whose real name is Clifford Dimba, is charged with one count of assault contrary to the Laws of Zambia.

Allegations are that Kanene, on October 27, 2015 in Lusaka., assaulted Modrine Chisenga, 38, thereby occasioning her actual bodily harm.

Last week, magistrate Mulife denied Kanene bail after the state objected on allegation that the witness was being interfered with.

And in seeking bail, Chanda applied that his client (Kanene) was working hand in hand with President Edgar Lungu at State House.

This was after the singer and ‘Gender-Based Violence ambassador’ pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Magistrate Mulife gave the state a week to secure testimony from witnesses as proof that the singer was interfering with the victim.

However, when the matter came up yesterday, state prosecutor Zacks Yuma told the court that the complainant was not before court, saying he tried to communicate with her but that her mobile phone was off.

Yuma asked the court to adjourn the case to Thursday to allow the witness to appear, but magistrate Mulife refused, further saying he had given the state enough time to bring the witness to court.

“The objection to the accused person to be admitted to bail was raised by the state and the court gave the state ample time to prove the allegation in the interest of justice,” he said.
Magistrate Mulife said he dismissed the objection by the state due to failure by the complainant to appear in court.

He, therefore, granted Kanene K5,000 cash bail with two working sureties in the like sum but in their own recognisance.

By press time, Kanene was still remanded while relatives, including his father, gathered to discuss bail conditions.

Trial is expected to commence on November 24.

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