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Court refuses to throw out Zambia's opposition leader treason charge

Xinhua, April 26, 2017 Adjust font size:

A court in Zambia on Wednesday dismissed an application to quash a treason charge against the country's leading opposition leader.

This follows an application by lawyers representing Hakainde Hichilema and his co-accused to quash the charge as it did not merit the charge of treason.

Magistrate Greenwell Malumani said in his ruling that he did not have the powers to quash the charge.

He has since referred the treason charge to a higher court.

The magistrate however agreed with the defense lawyers that the treason charge lacked merit as it did not make specifications on the planned overt action by the opposition leader to overthrow the government.

Hichilema, 54, was arrested on April 11 when the police raided his home for allegedly failing to give way to Zambian President Edgar Lungu's motorcade in the western part of the country.

Apart from the treason charge, he was slapped with two other charges of disobeying lawful order and insulting police officers.

The opposition leader and his co-accused pleaded not guilty to the two charges and have since been granted bail but they will remain in custody because of the treason charge which is not bailable in Zambia.

The trial for the two charges will commence on May 10. Endit