THE Kabwe High Court has ordered the release of a passport for the 74 year old Mkushi farmer accused of having caused the deaths of 50 people in a road traffic accident in Chibombo in February this year.
This is to enable the accused seek medical attention in South Africa.
The court also directed that the two sureties of Mr Abraham Van Eden surrender their passports to the State.
Kabwe High Court-in-Charge Eddie Sikazwe made the ruling during hearing of an application held in chambers on Tuesday.
Earlier the State through State advocate Joseph Akapelwa objected to the application saying the accused may jump bail, but lawyer representing the accused Mulilo Kabesha from Kabesha and Company said there was no need to fear because his client would abide by the conditions considering that he had lived in Zambia for 64 years.
In his ruling, Judge Sikazwe ordered that the passport be released and that in case of any complication while undergoing treatment, the accused should communicate through his lawyer who in turn would inform the court.
He said the health of a person was of paramount importance and was granting the application and that conditions of bail would revert back once he returns.
On July10, 2013, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) asked for an affidavit and later the lawyers from the State told the court that only a committee can decide over an accused person trying to seek medical treatment abroad.
But the court ordered that members of that committee should appear before court.
Van Eden, driving a Toyota Land Cruiser, registration number ABH 2214, is alleged to have caused the deaths of 50 people by dangerous driving on the Great North Road after a Post Bus collided with a truck.
He was recently granted a K15 million cash bail by the High Court that ordered that he surrenders his passport to the court and that he reports to the nearest police station every two weeks.
This was after Mr Kabesha appealed against the magistrate’s decision to deny him bail on grounds of his nationality.
Efyo baile…..
Tabaka bwele. Muka dabwa!!
Nchito has high hopes he will come back, so you guys think he will dribble them
guaranteed!!
Who decided on his behalf that he can only be treated in his native land (SA)? Lets be serious, this old man won’t come back, mark my words.
Efyo baile ba Buga !
I CAN EVEN SEE HIS DAYS COMING TO AN END LET HIM BE HE IS ALMOST DEAD
AND YOU CANT GIVE RB WHO NEVER CAUSED A SINGLE DEATH HIS PASSPORT TO ATTEND TO A NOBLE CAUSE AND PROMOTE ZAMBIA.
Is RB sick you dimwit? RB probably indirectly caused hundreds of deaths as a result of his stealing and his government’s corruption…don’t be myopic
RB is busy bringing Zambia down now he has been fired
Third eye or 3eye speaks sense
And what illness would this be? RB is as much a flight risk as this guy. I’m not aware of a stipulation that a flight risk is allowed to hop across borders for medical attention.
RB, there’s your way out.
Efyo baile ba zambia
the 3ye RB is Saint now, look how your Sata is mismanaging the country
prices going up, Harassment, Surplus RB left is gone , The government
contradicting each other everyday, money is slowly drying up on the streets
you go to ZED 3ye people will almost strip you naked wanting everything from u
this is being stupid the Zambian high court charge Eddie sikazwe must be cut in 50 pieces if that ***** doesn’t come back leaving in zambia 64 years doesn’t guarantee him to kill if he was black Zambian who did that in Europe he was going to be jailed for life after that deported sikazwe don’t be silly let that bustard pay for what he as done
typical of PF s colonial mentality, RB is in the clear but cant be allowed to travel
Inferiority complex still exists in these pea brains called defence lawyers and judge ! He killed more than 50 Zambians and you have just signed a get-out-of-jail-free-card for him you morons! Only in the PF-led government courts can such dumbness prevail !!!!
That judge and defence lawyers for the Muzungu deserve to flogged for exhibiting such utter stupidity in their professions !!
its obvious that the guy has “boshad” or payed off someone… come on guys, this is Zambia. it just hurts me that after declaring a national mourning period for the victims this is how they are honoured
Let him go for treatment. that was an accident . pf witches were behind it.
Oweeee finish this one is a no show chapwa!
I think i know what you guys are doing……., this is how it all went down……, his family suggested a very heavy brown envelope, produced it, the top man then laid it all flat on the table, after laying eyes on that glittering evelope, ” Mr Van Eden am releasing your passport on medical grounds make sure when you are fully recovered you come back back”, then the boss gave a Wink and a mischievous smile at Mr Van Eden’s son.
This is all clear people read btwn the lines, we zambains are very forgiving especially when it comes to other people, wish we extended the same to our own!
By the way make sure that, the envelope has some share for the victims family, otherwise, family take the farm of that man if he doesnt show period!
Indeed that was an accident. Let the old man go for treatment. Imagine it was your 74 yr old father or grandpa. No colour here bane.
Zambia is the most usless place I have ever see when it comes to enforcing the law. This man killed 50 people and have symphathy for such an ass hole. This is an insult to families that lost there love ones
I lost my brother in law in that bus, he was married to my immediate elder sister and as a family we are still in pain over that loss. To be honest I do not wish this old man ill and if it was up to me I would even withdraw the case because no matter what people say, the fact is, we have lost and our loved ones will never come back even if he is sentenced to life imprisonment. To my late brother in law Charles Mwila, “we miss you so much bashi Lisa it hasn’t been easy because we cant explain to Lisa and Maria, because all they know is that you have gone to heaven and you went by bus. The most painful question they have asked is “Why did dad go to heaven with a bus? why didn’t he go with our car”. Its painful but by God’s grace your wife and kids are well and taking one step at a…
NAUMFWA UBULANDA NO LUSE KUBANA.MAY GOD SEE THEM THRU TO PROSPERITY.
Ba Chiluba not to belittle your grief unfortunately we dont pursue justice so we can get back what we have lost. So we cant let a charge fall away on the logic that this wont bring back our lost ones. If that were the case murderers would have a field day.
My sympathies Chiluba.
Your grace and willingness to forgive is touching. God bless you and yours.
Excuuuse me Slow.
Let Chiluba express herself. No doubt she knows this, no need to throw your 2-bit logic in her time of great loss.
I.D.I.O.T
how can the courts give the passport back to an al-qaeda trained terrorist.
White = GOOD, Black = BAD. That is how the Zambian politicians brain processes racial differences.
It is actually the other way round in this case. How many people have been arrested like this old man from the many accidents that happen on that road every other day?
He is a WHITE man. He is not a CHAP. He cannot run away. Give him his passport.
And the difference is…..?