By ALICE NACHILEMBE
Six suspected land thieves have been found with the case to answer and have been put on the defense by Chingola Magistrate Court for illegally allocating Kasompe Air Strip land.
The suspects are Kipison Nyerenda 38, Malama Bwalya 28, James Mulonga 41, Bernard Bwalya 43, George Chongo 55, and Bernadette Chileshe 46; all of Kasompe save for Chileshe who stays in Kabundi Extension.
The six are charged with criminal tress pass.
Giving his defense Kipison Nyerenda told the court that he had Authority from the Mayor and the Town Clerk to be on that land because he entered the council land with no intention of committing a felony.
Nyerenda said that he and some member of the community had gone to the Mayor’s office to complain that the area Councillor and some people where selling land.
He said the issue at hand was well known to the Mayor and the Town Clerk.
“The community from the air strip and some Council officers including the Mayor and the Town Clerk has had meetings before and it was the council that appointed four people from the community to be reporting to the council on the people who are giving land illegally in the area,” he said.
Nyerenda who called one witness Amos Sikamba told the court that Nyerenda was among the four people who were appointed to be taking reports to the council of the people selling land.
Mr Sikamba told the court that Nyerenda had the Council’s blessings to enter (not trespassing) the land because he was only there to take reports for the council that instructed him.
Particulars before Magistrate Shedrick Chanda were that on September 3, this year Kipison and 5 others whilst acting together, willfully entered the property of Chingola Municipal Council with intent to commit a felony.
The matter was adjourned to October 25, for continued trial.
