Sat, 17 Jun 2017 10:58:02 +0000 BY CHIKUMBI KATEBE IT IS questionable for a magistrate to issue an order demanding the movement of a witness even before trial commences, a senior court official has observed. This was in reaction to Subordinate Court Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga’s order to move treason suspect Hakainde Hichilema from Kabwe’s Mukobeko Maximum Prison to Lusaka Central Prison in order for him to attend court in a matter where he was a complainant. The source said it was unprocedural that a court could issue an order for a prisoner, who was the complainant in this case, to be made available by the prison service even before trial begins. The source explained that it was unjustifiable for any court to issue such instructions which could only be issued during trial and at the point of giving testimony to an on-going trial and not at a mere sight of a complaint. “This is a […]
