JAILED former Lusaka Province minister Bowman Lusambo says he will be back like re-relected US president Donald Trump.
Yesterday, on the day that Trump was being declared winner of the US presidency which he lost four years ago, Lusambo was being handed a two-year jail term by the Luanshya magistrates Court for wounding a political opponent during a by-election in Roan Constituency back in 2019.
As Lusambo took a solitary trip to prison without any senior PF officials by his side to offer him support except his NATO forces boys, Lusambo said like Donald Trump has returned to power as America’s 47th President, so will the PF bounce back.
“I am not shaken this is a case that is fabricated and all of us know, so we are very strong and we want to face it. We know that it’s a political case and am not shaken. Trump has come back, PF is coming back we have to be strong this country belongs to all of us,” said Lusambo as he was forced into a waiting Toyota Mark X.
As he was being driven to Luanshya on Monday, Lusambo declared that himself and his party PF will be back on the political scene in 2026, true to his word Lusambo was sent to jail for two years by the Luanshya Magistrates’ Court and will be back in circulation in the said year.
Lusambo was convicted of unlawful wounding in absentia on October 31, 2024, by magistrate Penstone Chiluba who issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
On April 11, 2019, Lusambo alias the Bulldozer, with the help of his panga wielding ‘army’ of PF youths NATO forces troops segmented the face of NDC member Statnely Musukwa during campaigns ahead of the by-election, when he segmented his face.
In order live another day and testify how God had made him a conqueror of Lusambo’s violence, the 58-year old Musukwa had to undergo more excruciating pain to have his sliced face sutured as he was left unidentifiable.
In his judgment magistrate Chiluba said the evidence produced by the State witnesses led to Lusambo as the perpetrator of the violence during campaigns for the by-election , as all the witnesses placed him at the crime scene.
During mitigation this morning Lusambo through his lawyers pleaded with the court to exercise maximum leniency on reasons that, he was a family man with six offspring in the springtime of life, and a wife who depend on him for survival.
He said he has over 10 dependents notable among them youth activist Tiza Mukuka who depend on him for their survival.
Lusambo said he has a record of public service in the country, as he served as provincial minister for both Copperbelt and Lusaka for five years.
The Bulldozer said he was a lawmaker who represented constituents in Kabushi constituency in Ndola on the Copperbelt, which speaks to his dedication for serving the country.
Lusambo said he was remorseful and had learned his lesson for engaging in violence, as he was being penalized for the second time over the same.
He said he was altruistic as he is sponsoring a football academy of youths aged between 12 and 18, called Chichele in Southern province as an ambassador of good will to keep them away from bad vices.
Lusambo said he is 48 and was still in his prime time therefore he has ample time to development his political career.
He said his political career is in its infancy stage and he desires to become President.
The Bulldozer prayed to the court to exercise maximum leniency insisting that he had a wife and his children were very young.
In handing down his sentence magistrate Chiluba noted that violence during elections in the country was prevalent hence people found guilty cannot go without being corrected.
He said the injuries were fatal and Lusambo needed to be punished with a custodial sentence to serve as a deterrent to would be offenders.
“I hereby sentence you to 24 months imprisonment with hard labor with effect the date of conviction. Leave to appeal is granted within 14 days,” ordered magistrate Chiluba.
Lusambo’s lawyers later applied for bail pending appeal against the two-year sentence.
The State opposed the application saying the Bulldozer was a flight risk who was recently extracted from the ceiling by the police, after he went into hiding to elude arrest.
The defense disputed the submissions by the State saying there was no official statement that Lusambo hid in the ceiling at his Chamba valley house, when law enforcement officers went to effect an arrest, in compliance with a court order.
Magistrate Chiluba declined to admit him to bail on the basis that, the reasons for the bail application were not captivating.
Meanwhile ACC spokesperson Timothy Moono in an interview said, the institution will communicate with authorities at the correctional facility where Lusambo was booked in, to secure his court appearance today before the Economic and Financial Crimes Court where he is scheduled to open defense in a matter he is accused of possessing his Chamba valley house and six incomplete flats suspected to be tainted.
Lusambo also has another pending judgement on Friday November 8, 2024, together with his wife Nancy Manase before the EFCC, in a matter where he is facing 10 corruption related charges among them; one count of corrupt acquisition of public property, five counts of possessing property suspected to be proceeds of crime, three counts of tax evasion and one count of conspiracy to defraud.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba November 7, 2024.
