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A witness in the shooting incident involving health deputy minister Dr Solomon Musonda is on the run fearing for his life.
And Dr Musonda’s victim, Jackson Musaka, is demanding K500 million from Dr Musonda as compensatory damages within seven days failure to which his lawyers would commence legal proceedings in the High Court.
Sydney Mwela yesterday narrated that police officers from Kabwe are pursing him in connection with the shooting.
“I am afraid and I am living in fear because several people from the MMD in Chitambo, especially those who are pro-PF have been alerting me. They have been telling me that I am regarded as the key witness since I was there when Solomon shot Jackson. They said that Solomon
is not happy with me and the story I gave to The Post and that he Dr Musonda feels I am responsible for his problems because if I didn’t tell The Post what happened the matter couldn’t have gone this far,” Mwela said. “Ba MMD balanjeba ati Solomon alifulwa alakufwaya sana. They have even warned me to be very careful and avoid meetings or jumping on strange vehicles. And yesterday Monday I received a strange call around 23:00 hours. The person who called asked if I was Sydney and when I agreed he started asking where I was and I told him that I was at Mukando turnoff. Then he asked me that when we come will we find you? I said ‘yes’.
”But I asked them why they wanted me and they said they were police officers from Kabwe and they want the victim’s medical report which was given at Serenje Hospital. So I told them that the medical report, which I have wasn’t signed so it can’t be of any use to them. But they insisted that they were coming to see me.”
Mwela said immediately he finished the conversation, he gave the medical report to his brother Onned Mwela to submit to the officers once they arrived.
“Just after giving my brother the medical report, I left my house and went in the bush because I was afraid. I failed to understand why the police could drive all the way from Kabwe to come and meet me in the night. And around 01:00 in the morning the police arrived at Mukando turnoff. They were four of them in a labeled blue and white police pick up, an Isuzu to be specific,” Mwela said.
“But my young brother couldn’t meet them because he was equally scared following the stories he has also heard that Solomon was after me. So when he saw the vehicle he fled into the forest and slept there with the medical report he was supposed to give them.”
Mwela narrated that around 07:00 hours yesterday, his wife - Purity - accompanied his young brother and delivered the medical report to the police officers.
“The officers waited until 07:00 hours that’s when my wife noticed that the vehicle was still parked there, that’s when they took the medical report. The police officers started asking them on my whereabouts. But they told them that since I left last night I didn’t return home. And my wife later told me that they were demanding for a signed medical report,” Mwela said. “The police asked my wife and young brother on the whereabouts of the victim. They said they wanted to know where Jackson was after being transferred from the University Teaching Hospital (UTH). They were told that Jackson was still in Lusaka but they insisted on knowing where exactly he was in Lusaka.”
Mwela said the police warned that if they were not given numbers that would enable them trace the victim, they would wait until he came out of hiding.
“They eventually left but they were insisting that I should come out and meet them. I am living in fear because I don’t know what these people want to do to me. Iam even afraid of sleeping at home because I don’t know who may come for me,” he said.
And sources within the police yesterday disclosed that there were instructions to locate the victim.
“There are instructions to intimidate the victim and the witnesses so that they can be coached on the statements to give. The authorities want to shield Dr Musonda at all costs. No wonder the President spoke like that when he was asked about the matter,” the source said. “As police, we can’t do anything right now. Our hands are tied. They want by the time the DPP is giving a go ahead on the case, everything would have been engineered. In short, they want to kill this case through connivance.“
And in a letter dated June 15th, 2010, Musaka’s lawyers - Wynter Kabimba and Company - have given Dr Musonda a seven day ultimatum to compensate him for gun shot wounds.
“Re: Claim for damages for assault and shooting of Jackson Musaka. We have been retained as advocates in the above quoted matter the facts and circumstances of which are well known to you following the shooting incident in which you were personally involved on 1st June 2010 in the Lubembe area in Serenje district. Our perusal of the medical report reveals that our client, Jackson Musaka, sustained an open gunshot head injury and a depressed skull fracture on the left temporo-perietal area leading to a brain contusion,” read the letter in part. “Our client was admitted to the UTH on a referral basis from Serenje District Hospital on 02nd June 2010 and was only discharged on 10th June 2010. Since his discharge from the hospital, he has been experiencing intermittent headaches which have made it difficult for him to work and look after his family and his widowed mother. In view of the above, we demand compensatory damages from you in the sum of K500, 000, 000 to be paid through our chambers within seven days from the date hereof in default of which we have instructions to commence legal proceedings against you in the High Court.”
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