Membe

By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE  –
A MATTER in which Post Newspapers Limited (in liquidation) editor-in-chief Fred M’membe is charged with concealing company property, among other charges, yesterday failed to take off in the Lusaka magistrates’ court.
The case could not take off because former Post Newspapers Limited former employee Abel Mboozi’s lawyer Robison Malipenga told the court that he had just received instructions which he needed to understand.
Mr Malipenga applied for the case to be adjourned to October 3, 2017 for possible commencement of trial.
M’membe’s defence lawyers Nchima Nchito and Chisuwo Hamwela did not object to the application for the adjournment.
M’membe, who appeared before principal magistrate  David Simusamba, is facing five counts of personating, disobeying lawful orders, concealing property of the Post Newspapers and preventing the production of books or papers relating to the affairs of The Post.
M’membe is accused of personating as an officer of the Post Newspapers Limited, among other charges he is facing.
He is also alleged to have failed to deliver to the provisional liquidator the real and personal property, books, documents under his custody or control, and other documents belonging to the Post Newspapers Limited.
The case was taken to court in February this year through a complainant by Mr Mboozi.
M’membe is alleged to have committed the offences between November 1, 2016 and February 2017.
Meanwhile, a case in which Lusaka lawyer Martha Mushipe is charged with being in possession of seditious material was yesterday adjourned to today because a State witness who was supposed to testify in the matter was not ready.
Mushipe is alleged to have ‎between July 1, 2015 and April 11, 2016 in Lusaka jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown and without lawful excuse had in her possession of seditious materials.
The documents were ‘Strategy of domination PF against opposition United Party for National Development 2015 to‎ 2016 and beyond’, ‘UPND at crossroads transition or conflict,’ ‘PF’s use of ethnic divide and rule as a means of maintaining political control in Zambia 2015 to 2016 and beyond’.
They are alleged to have been authored‎ by Tendai Muduli, Ngosa Simbyakula and Dydmus Mutasa.