The Chambishi Magistrates court has granted K500 million bail with two working sureties to each of the seven suspects in their own recognisance for allegedly stealing 30 copper blisters worth over K1.7 billion.
This is in a case in which Richard Chileshe Mbulu, John Mapona, Victor Bweupe, Evans Mulenga, Mukwapatila Tembo Kampango, Kelvin Tembo and Danny Ngosa are charged with copper theft contrary to section 275 (A) chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
ZANIS reports that in his ruling on Monday, Kitwe Magistrate, Davy Simfukwe said it was only fair for the court to exercise its discretion in favour of the seven accused persons.
Particulars of the offence were that the seven on December 29, last year in Chambishi, jointly and whilst acting together with other unknown persons allegedly stole 30 blisters of copper valued at K1,765,090,800,the property of Chambishi Copper Smelter (CCS).
Mr. Simfukwe granted the accused K500 million bails each in their own recognisance with two working sureties in managerial positions from established companies.
“The said sureties will only be allowed to sign for the accused upon Investigative Officers visiting both their residential and business premises and a report be made to the court as to their standing in society,” Mr Simfukwe said.
Magistrate Simfukwe ordered each accused person to surrender their title deeds to any of their properties valued at K500 million or in alternative handover a motor vehicle worth K500 million to the court.
Mr Simfukwe said the motor vehicles shall be parked at the Copperbelt Division Prosecution Offices located at the Ndola Central Police in an event that the accused decided to do so.
He also ordered the accused to surrender their passports to the court.
Mr Simfukwe ruled that the accused should not leave the jurisdiction of the court without authority and that they should report to the Copperbelt Division Prosecution offices every Friday at 10:00 hours until the case was disposed of.
Earlier, Defence Lawyer Freddie Chalenga applied that his clients be granted bail pursuant to section 123 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) Chapter 88 of the Laws of Zambia.
Mr Chalenga argued that his clients were Zambians of fixed abode and that the offence they were charged with was bailable.
But the State objected to the bail application on grounds that the crime was highly organised.
The State argued that it took five days for Police Officers to arrest some of the accused and that Chileshe, Kampango and Tembo only surrendered to Police after an ultimatum.
ZANIS
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