My evidence may have contained lies, State witness Hakalima tells court

When asked why he never wanted the statement to be part of his evidence in court, Mr. Hakalima said the DEC officer never told him it could be used in court.

Lusaka, June 21 – A State witness who is a senior tax inspector at Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) on Wednesday told the Lusaka Magistrate Court that his witness statement in former Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji case could have contained some lies.

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Mr. Chilala Hakalima told the court that he could not tender his statement into evidence because the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officer investigating the matter never warned him that the statement could be used in court.

When asked in cross examination by defence lawyer Makebi Zulu why he never wanted the statement to be part of his evidence in court, Mr. Hakalima said the DEC officer never told him it could be used in court.

And when asked if the witness statement contained lies, Mr. Hakalima said it might contain lies.

“Does it contain lies?” asked Mr. Zulu.
“It might,” said the witness.

In this matter, Malanji and former secretary to treasury Fredson Yamba are charged with 10 counts of willful failure to comply with laid down procedures and possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime

Yamba is charged with two counts of willful failure to comply with laid down procedures while Malanji is facing eight counts of being in possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.

Also Read: “There is only one good – Knowledge, and one evil – Ignorance!” – Socrates. Acquiring knowledge empowers us to pursue the ultimate goal in life: fostering virtue, allowing us to contribute positively to society and master our own desires.

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