The Mahtani Group of Companies Legal Counsel Zaheeda Essa and 11 other employees of the same company have all denied the charge of obstruction of authorized officers.
The dozen employees appeared for plea this morning before Principle Resident Magistrate (PRM), Charles Kafunda facing a charge of obstruction of authorized officers contrary to section 26 of the prohibition and prevention of money laundering Act number 14 of 2001.
The 12 were arrested in Lusaka on Monday by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) for obstruction and failure to provide a shareholding certificate for Zambezi Portland Cement.
Essa is facing two counts of obstruction of authorized officers while the rest of the employees are charged with one count of the same charge.
In count one, Essa is alleged to have, on dates unknown but between February 13th and 15th, 2010, jointly and while acting together with other persons unknown, being a Legal Counsel at Mahtani Group of Companies, did obstruct authorized officers by failing to furnish or produce original share transfers for Zambezi Portland Cement limited.
In the second count, Essa and eleven other are alleged to have on February 15th, jointly and while acting together with unknown people, did obstruct, hinder and or delay authorized officers being Drug Enforcement Commission Officers (DEC) from exercising powers conferred on them under the prohibition and prevention of money laundering Act.
Magistrate Kafunda read the charges to each one of the accused persons in a fully packed courtroom at the Lusaka Magistrates Court complex today.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
And Magistrate Kafunda has granted bail to all the twelve accused persons but given them different bail conditions depending on their citizenship.
He gave Essa a K50 million cash bail with two working sureties at the level of Directors, who should also pay K50 million each.
He said Essa, who is a dual citizen of Zambia and Britain, should also surrender her British passport and any other travel document.
She has also been ordered to be reporting to the Officer-In-Charge at Ridgeway Police every Friday in the company of a lawyer.
The magistrate gave an K18 million cash bail to each of the three foreign accused persons with two working Zambian sureties in management positions in the like sum.
He also ordered the accused to surrender their passports to the State and report to the Officer-In-Charge at Ridgeway Police every Friday in the company of a lawyer.
The Zambian nationals got a K1 million cash bail each and ordered them to provide two working sureties.
The matter has been adjourned to March 9th, 2010 for commencement of trial.
ZANIS
😕 ……No comment.
Bail conditions seem harshly disproportionate for the alleged offences.
Sm1 tell me how a driver,receptionist and support staff kud be involved in such a high profile case,i think there was sm unfare treatment on the part of DEC officers.
# 3. Drivers, Receptionists and other support staff are graduates these days and perform multiple tasks. However, I wonder why DEC could not go to straight to Mahtani himself to get the document.
Law enforcement agencies are in confusion as information has reached them that Finance bank owner Rajani Mahtani has fled the country.
Meanwhile, the government has removed all its acounts from Mahtani’s bank.
This follows the delisting of Finance bank from preferred banks under Ministry of Finance circular number 3 of 2010.
Among the accounts that have been taken or are in the process of being transfered to other banks include that of Zambia Revenue Authority, University of Zambia bursaries, the National Assembly, Food Reserve Agency and Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia.
# 4 good observation, why are they scared of Mahtani? # 5 Mahtani cant flee Zambia leaving his assets.
# 5 if yr information is correct then it is very unfortunate coz this is very retrogresive 4 our country, People lyk Mathani shd be tresured coz he has not only brought investment bt created employment for many Zambians.
No Mahthani is a crook and should be arrested, he has been ducking a diving and getting every administration on his side simply because of his money and power.Oh and even though he has millions of assets in Zambia,he can flee as he has millions elsewhere too.You forget his family does no stay in Zambia but in the UK were they have been for several years.So people don’t get confused, yes he has offered or created employment but on a greater scale of things, he is hood winking everyone.Zambia seriously needs to get to a point were the country stops treating the wealthy as Gods at the expense of the people that really and truly matter, we need progressive developmental change
“He said Essa, who is a dual citizen of Zambia and Britain, should also surrender her British passport and any other travel document”
I did not know dual citizenry is in operation ???
Mahthani has refused to donate to the MMD campaign that is why the MMD run Govt is taking these actions.The deal has always been Finance bank holds the major GRZ accounts and Mahthani who is a major share holder of the bank donates to the MMD. This time the man has refused to do it, and the MMD is now using state institutions to settle scores.This is were Katumbi comes in. He has the cash and is willing to give. So state attack dogs have been set loose on Mahthani.
How did they establish that Essa is the own who is supposed to have the certificates of share transfer? Honestly, I expected the accuser to have furnished the s.t.u.p.id Zambian law enforcement with this evidence. Honestly if not on what basis are they acting? Essa was right not to cooperate with them. My advice to my fellow Zambians is that if the gestapo knocks on your door dont cooperate with them only do what your lawyer advises you to do. Always never incriminate yourself. Well done Zaheeda! . Most Zambians in the diaspora hold duel citizenship. If there are Zambians who do not know this; I would describe them as dumb!
how is essa a dual citizen?
Its either he funded PF in 2008 or Chiluba is behind all these. Remember that Chiluba had issues with this and now he has few powers from RB, its a pay back time – watch out
The workers obstructed justice by trying to destroy evidence when DEC went to search. On the instructions of their superiors they also tried to stop the search, Zaheeda Essa as company secretary is suppossed to keep the original documents. in fact the law requires that she does this. That is why Zaheeda and not the accuser are being asked to produce the original share certificates. Mwanamuchende is perhaps the one who is “s.t.u.p.id” for not knowing the law and not the law enforcement agents. If you are not knowledgeable on a subject just read other people’s blogs and do not expose your ignorance.
nambala 8 ndiwe muzanga kwambili mbili, “Rich chaps pa Zed are treated as small Gods”