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Tonse/Pamodzi Alliance Secretary General, Celestin Mukandila, has denied forging a businessman’s signature and uttering documents allegedly used in the surrender of shares in ZRIMS Farm Limited.
Mukandila, who is also a lawyer, pleaded not guilty to two counts of forgery and two counts of uttering false documents when he appeared before Lusaka Magistrate Anna Vomvas-Holland.
The trial is scheduled to commence on October 13, 2027.
The court granted him K20,000 cash bail and ordered him to report to a police station once every week.
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Mukandila was also ordered to provide two sureties bonded at K15,000 each.
The State alleges that between July 14, 2022 and July 25, 2024, in Lusaka, Mukandila forged businessman Yaees Salim Sheth’s signature on a PACRA Form 12, purporting that Sheth had surrendered his shares in ZRIMS Farm Limited.
It is further alleged that he forged Sheth’s signature on a letter of surrender of shares to the company.
The prosecution alleges that Mukandila subsequently knowingly and fraudulently presented the documents as genuine.
The State had described Mukandila as a flight risk, saying it was in the public domain that questions had been raised over his citizenship and identity.
The defence, led by Apton Banda, opposed the argument, saying Mukandila could not abscond because his passport and National Registration Card had been cancelled and he had commenced judicial review proceedings challenging the cancellation.
The court dismissed the State’s argument that Mukandila was a flight risk, saying the prosecution had failed to provide material evidence to support its claim that he was likely to abscond.
Mukandila was warned to ensure that he attended all court sessions, failure to which his bail could be revoked.
He was also ordered to surrender his travel documents and seek permission from the court before leaving the jurisdiction.
On August 20, 2026, Mukandila was arrested in a separate matter involving allegations concerning the validity of his National Registration Card and his Zambian citizenship.
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