Mutti complains over massive media coverage

LAWYERS representing Nelly Mutti in her theft case have submitted to the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court that trial be expedited because it has cast a dark cloud over their client’s reputation due to massive media publicity.

This is in a matter in which Mutti, 58 a lawyer of Lukona Chambers, is facing 33 counts of forgery, theft and uttering a false document contrary to the Laws of Zambia.

Allegations are that Mutti between January 2002 and June 2013, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown, with intent to defraud or deceive, forged a civil servants voluntary separatees list, purporting to show that it was genuinely made and issued by the Voluntary Separation Association of Zambia when in fact not.

She is further alleged to have stolen K760,715 and other different amounts at each instance which came to K35 million, the property of the Republic of Zambia, but Mutti denied having committed the offences.

When the mater came up for continued trial before magistrate Humphrey Chitalu yesterday, the state, through prosecutors Dennis Manda and Noah Mwanza, asked for an adjournment because Mutti’s docket was with the acting DPP and that no reason was availed.

But Mutti’s lawyers Professor Patrick Mvunga, Sakwiba Sikota, Keith Mweemba and Dickson Jere, objected to the state’s application for an adjournment.

The defence submitted that proceeding with trial was in the best interest of Mutti and other parties because the matter hanging over her had received a lot of media publicity and thus cast a dark cloud over her reputation.

Ruling on the application, magistrate Chitalu ordered the state to avail the witnesses they had lined up.

The state, however, failed to bring their witness to court, but only claimed that a witness had been spotted earlier within the court premises.

The matter was then adjourned to today for continued trial and the state was ordered to make an effort to retrieve the file from the DPP’s office.

thepost