Zambia opposition leader's treason case to go to high court for trial

The case in which Zambia's leading opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has been charged with treason will now proceed for trial in a high court, according to a certificate of committal submitted in a lower court on Thursday.

Hichilema and five of his supporters were arrested on April 11 and charged with treason and have been in detention since then because treason is a non-bailable offense in Zambia.

They have been appearing in court for preliminary issues and waiting for the Director of Prosecutions (DPP) to issue consent for the case to proceed for trial in a high court because the lower court has no jurisdiction to preside over treason cases.

According to the certificate, the opposition leader, while acting together with others, is alleged to have conspired to mobilize an advance party to ensure that he was accorded the status of Zambian president at a ceremony in the western provincial capital of Mongu and that his convoy did obstruct President Edgar Lungu's motorcade, an act that was likely to cause death or grievous harm to the Zambian leader in an attempt to usurp executive powers.

But his lawyers objected to the move to commit the case to the high court for trial because the lower court had ordered for a preliminary inquiry into the viability of the treason case.

The lawyers argued that the preliminary inquiry must continue in order to determine whether the opposition leader committed treason or not.

The lawyers further argued that the certificate of committal was null and void because it was not signed by the DPP in accordance with the law and should be disregarded. Endit