Livingstone Mayor Constance Muleabai is today expected to return to the Livingstone Magistrates’ Court, where judgment is finally set to be delivered in a long-running corruption case involving K180,000. The matter comes after weeks of delays, with the ruling having failed to proceed on two previous occasions. Judgment was initially scheduled to be delivered by Resident Magistrate Kalifano Manyepa and later by Senior Resident Magistrate Trevor Kasanda, who was unable to travel to Livingstone at the time.
Senior Resident Magistrate Kasanda is now expected to preside over the case today, bringing to an end months of anticipation in one of Livingstone’s most closely followed court proceedings.Mayor Muleabai has been on trial over allegations that between August and September 2023, she solicited K120,000 and later received K180,000 from businessman Mark Gabites. The prosecution alleges that the money was meant to induce the mayor to facilitate a 100 percent remission of property rates owed to the Livingstone City Council by Zamnuka Farming Limited.Earlier in the proceedings, Magistrate Kasanda ruled that the State had established a prima facie case, meaning there was sufficient evidence for the mayor to be placed on her defence.Muleabai, however, has consistently denied the allegations. In her defence, she admitted knowing one of the witnesses, Monde Sumbwa, describing their families as long-time friends, but rejected claims that she worked with Sumbwa or anyone else to obtain the alleged gratification.
She has maintained that she neither solicited nor received the money in question.With judgment expected today, residents of Livingstone and the wider public are keenly watching to see whether the mayor will be acquitted or face legal consequences after nearly a year of court proceedings. Senior Resident Magistrate Kasanda is now expected to preside over the case today, bringing to an end months of anticipation in one of Livingstone’s most closely followed court proceedings. Mayor Muleabai has been on trial over allegations that between August and September 2023, she solicited K120,000 and later received K180,000 from businessman Mark Gabites.
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The prosecution alleges that the money was meant to induce the mayor to facilitate a 100 percent remission of property rates owed to the Livingstone City Council by Zamnuka Farming Limited. Earlier in the proceedings, Magistrate Kasanda ruled that the State had established a prima facie case, meaning there was sufficient evidence for the mayor to be placed on her defence.Muleabai, however, has consistently denied the allegations. Earlier in the proceedings, Magistrate Kasanda ruled that the State had established a prima facie case, meaning there was sufficient evidence for the mayor to be placed on her defence.
Muleabai, however, has consistently denied the allegations. She has maintained that she neither solicited nor received the money in question. With judgment expected today, residents of Livingstone and the wider public are keenly watching to see whether the mayor will be acquitted or face legal consequences after nearly a year of court proceedings.
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