By Agness Changala
Uncle to former deputy Inspector of Police Charity Katanga has confirmed to the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court that he lent her K1.7 million from his business, to enable her purchase two Higer Buses.
And Katanga’s bus company manager has informed the court that Chibweka Bus Company Limited experienced a boom from the time it commenced in 2017 and monies generated were used to purchase more
buses.
This is in a case where Katanga is accused of possessing 10 Higer buses illegally.
In her defence, Katanga told Chief Resident Magistrate Davies Chibwili that the money she used to purchase the buses in contention came from her gratuity, allowances and loans which she obtained from her uncle, Joseph Phiri, as well as her husband who was a senior police officer and received gratuity, allowances and a good salary.
When the case came for continued defence yesterday, Phiri told the court that Katanga approached him on two occasions to request for loans.
Katanga’s uncle who lives in Kabwe told the court that he has two companies, one in construction and another in milling.
He said he had been working on several contracts with both private and public companies to make money for his business adding that he had a contract with the Road Development Agency (RDA) and Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) among other companies.
He said under one of the contracts he was paid a total of US$1.1 million among other amounts.
The defence witness said on June 4, 2008, he was paid US$901,781.95 and in 2007 an amount of more than US$ 125.000.
Phiri informed the court that Katanga was his niece because he was married to her aunt, adding that when she started her transport business, she approached him for a loan.
He said he advanced Katanga K470, 000 in the first loan and the agreement was for her to pay it back which she did.
Phiri added that in 2018, Katanga approached him and requested for another loan of K1.3 million which he gave her bringing the total to K1.750,000 million.
He also confirmed that he lent Katanga two loans and she used the money to purchase the buses.
During cross examination by State prosecutor Mukuma Chipawa, Phiri submitted copies of some contracts which he said earned him money to be able to lend Katanga.
Phiri also told court that the money he lent Katanga was legitimately earned.
Katanga’s company manager Albert Chibesa, told court that the buses belong to Katanga and her husband.
Chibesa narrated to the court that in 2017, he was employed by Katanga who had acquired two Higer buses for transport and was appointed manager.
He said in July 2017, a first trip was made using the first two buses which Katanga had bought with the capacity of 47 passengers each and the first cashing he made was more than K7,000 at the end of August. 2017.
He told court that just on the first trip that they made, they were able to tell that the business would boom because the transport services for their buses were on high demand.
Chibesa said when he reported to Katanga about the first trip returns, she was surprised that they had made more than K200,000 for the first month for the two buses.
He said at the end of 2017, they had made more than K1, 800.000 million.
Chibesa said in January 2018 at month end, the two buses had made more than K12 million and in the month of September, two more buses were purchased to increase the number of buses and revenue earned.
He said in 2019, again more than K12 million had been raised.
Chibesa, however, informed court that the year 2019 started on a bad note but at the time, the company had eight buses in total.
He also said during COVID 19, in 2020, the money which was earned dropped to slightly above K6 million.
Chibesa told the court that in 2021, three more buses were purchased bringing the total number of buses to 10.
He further told the court that in the same year of 2021, one of the buses was involved in a road traffic accident and the money which was collected in the year dropped to about K5.7 million.
Chibesa said in the year 2022, after the Patriotic Front (PF) lost power, the company did not operate well and only about K4. 9 million was made in the first half of 2022.
Defence to continue on December 13, 2023.
1 Comment