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In a dramatic twist in the ongoing rape trial of Pentecostal clergyman, John Nundwe, also known as Bishop John General, the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court heard that the woman accusing him allegedly demanded K800,000 with her husband to drop the charges.
Nundwe is accused of raping a married congregant during a purported spiritual cleansing ritual at her matrimonial home in Matero.
The woman claims the clergyman offered the ritual to help her conceive after suffering multiple miscarriages.
Read more: Woman accusing Bishop Nundwe of rape requests break amid intense cross-examination
During cross-examination, defense lawyers, Yokonia Daka and Elijah Siatwambo, grilled the complainant over inconsistencies in her testimony and omissions in her initial police statement.
Read more: Bishop John General appears in Lusaka court over alleged case of rape
Despite pointing out Nundwe in court as the man who forced himself on her, the woman admitted she never saw his genitals, even though she testified that he was naked.
“You said you saw him naked. Did you see his manhood?” one of the lawyers asked. “No, I didn’t,” she replied. When pressed further, she reiterated that she did not see it but claimed, “His body was on me.”
She said the accused used one hand to part her legs while lying on one of her thighs but could not recall which leg or what his other hand was doing.
She also acknowledged her hands were not restrained and that she had the freedom to resist but claimed she didn’t get the opportunity to fight back or scream.
The defense questioned why the woman failed to report that another man allegedly pushed her into the room where the assault occurred, a detail omitted from her police statement.
“Did you tell the police that this other man pushed you?” she was asked. “I didn’t,” she admitted.
The court also heard that she and her husband met with the accused’s lawyer to negotiate a K800,000 settlement to withdraw the case—an allegation she neither confirmed nor denied but admitted not disclosing to the police.
A document with her phone number and identity was presented in court to support the defense’s claim.
Additionally, the complainant admitted to disposing of potentially critical evidence, including a panty and sanitary pad used during the incident, and acknowledged that she never gave police the clothes she wore that day.
Her phone, which allegedly contained messages from Nundwe, was never submitted, as she claimed it was broken.
Despite the intense cross-examination, she maintained that she was raped and insisted the incident occurred under the guise of spiritual prayer.
When asked about her marriage, she said she hoped it would continue and expressed a desire to preserve the relationship.
The defense argued that the accusations are riddled with inconsistencies and suggested they may be financially motivated.
Cross-examination is expected to continue on June 2 and 3.
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