Court slaps Kapyanga, Simumba with K50,000 penalties over fugitive Tayali

Two Members of Parliament (MP) who stood surety for Economic and Equity Party president, Chilufya Tayali, have each been fined K50,000 after failing to produce him before the court.

Lusaka Principal Magistrate, Sylvia Munyinya, ordered Mpika MP, Francis Kapyanga, and Nakonde MP, Lukas Simumba, to pay the penalty by June 16, or face two months of simple imprisonment.

This followed their failure to provide a satisfactory explanation for Tayali’s continued absence from court proceedings.

“The efforts you have made to secure the accused person’s presence have failed,” Magistrate Munyinya ruled.

Magistrate Munyinya stated that: “each surety is therefore ordered to pay K50,000 to the State by June 16, in default of which you will serve a term of two months simple imprisonment.”

Read more: Police urged to explain failure to arrest, produce Tayali in court over alleged harassment of Chief Mukuni

The bench warrant for Tayali’s arrest remained active and will only be withdrawn once he was apprehended.

Tayali, who remains at large, is facing charges of cyber harassment.

He is accused of using Facebook to allege that Senior Chief Mukuni was behind the wave of gas attacks that swept through Zambia between 2019 and 2022.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge of harassment using electronic communication, contrary to Section 69 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No. 2 of 2021. He also faces a separate charge of inciting racial hatred, ridicule or contempt.

When the matter came up in court, Simumba informed the magistrate that he had communicated with Tayali, who claimed he was stranded abroad due to a lack of funds.

“I talked to him after the matter was adjourned yesterday. He said he would call back, but he hasn’t,” Simumba said.

Kapyanga, the second surety, aligned himself with Simumba’s remarks. “Without wasting the court’s time, I adopt my colleague’s submission. Our efforts to present the accused before court have proved futile.”

The matter has been adjourned for the return of the bench warrant, pending Tayali’s arrest.

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