Maravi

Rupiah’s impostor nephew denies owing lodge

Rupiah’s impostor nephew denies owing lodge
Written by Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Friday, January 23, 2009 7:02:58 AM

THE man claiming to be President Rupiah Banda's nephew who stayed at Ndola's Park Lodge for 28 days and left without settling bills on Wednesday denied owing the lodge any money. Magistrate Ikechukwu Iduma found David Banda with a case and was put on his defence.

Opening his defence, Banda denied owing Park Lodge K19 million, saying he only had an outstanding debt of K725,000.

"...I can recall it was late last year when I was the outing project manager for UNDP. I was running a UNHCR programme and while I was working there, I met Change Mukabe who later became my girlfriend and after the project ended, I went back to Lusaka and we continued communicating," he said. "On 17th August, she called me and told me that the one who was conducting my prayers while I was in Ndola wanted to see me and I asked for a five-day vocational leave from my superior. While I was coming to Ndola, I had an accident in Kabwe."

Banda said on a Saturday when he arrived at Park Lodge, the director of the lodge, John Mulenga, immediately gave him a room as he was not feeling well.

"When I was given a room, a young girl came to my room and brought me a visitor's book to sign which I did. I stayed at the lodge for 19 days until I was supposed to go for review at Nchanga South Mine Hospital in Chingola," he explained. "My girlfriend only came on Tuesday and we were staying together in the same room, not the way she was saying it that we were not staying in the same room and the reason why she wanted two rooms was because she was afraid of her counsellor from church.

"So what Mr Mulenga and I arranged was that during the day, the girl should be put in a separate room but we were sharing the same room."

Banda narrated that on a Friday, he went out and upon his return to the lodge, he found his girlfriend with another man, Amond Sitima, the police reserve officer who earlier testified that he arrested and brought him back from Chingola.

Banda said he was upset at the sight of the two and he reported his girlfriend to her uncle who advised him to take her back to Luanshya.

He said on their way to Luanshya, Mukabe demanded to be taken to the hospital for a pregnancy test, which she did and the result was negative.

Banda explained that he paid K425,000 to Mulenga the day he went to Chingola for his review and only remained with K300,000 balance which he promised to pay upon his return.

He said after the review at the hospital, he went to Protea Hotel and while resting at the poolside, he received a call that the Copperbelt commanding officer wanted to see him.

"That Dr Sitima came and lied that he was the Copperbelt commanding officer and told me that my girlfriend had been arrested and that I was needed at Kansenshi Police for assault, that I had assaulted my girlfriend," he said.

"I was arrested not because I did not pay the lodge bills, but the records at Kansenshi police are saying that I assaulted my girlfriend. But the truth is I paid all my bills and I don't owe Mr Mulenga any money."

He said he did not know why Mulenga made up a story that State House had said that the money should be reduced.

He said if he had a relative at State House, it was not their duty to pay his bills.

Banda refused to be cross-examined by state prosecutor Grant Kalunga, preferring another prosecutor.

Banda accused Kalunga of stealing his lodge receipts.

He accused Kalunga and the Principal Resident Magistrate of having an interest in his case.

"I was with you [Kalunga], Mr Mbewe and Mr Mulenga when I was finishing off paying his remaining K300,000. You were there, you even got the receipts from me. You know what I am talking about, why should you deny today?" he wondered. "I remember the Principal Resident Magistrate told me that she was going to declare interest because she was going to be away, but she had an interest in my case and that is why it was brought in this court. This prosecutor got my receipts, so if you have to talk about dignity, what dignity is he going to show?"

Banda requested to bring a witness, Bertha Phiri Mbewe [magistrate Mbewe's wife].

Magistrate Iduma adjourned the matter to January 26.

Labels: MMD, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 7:04 AM