A 28-year-old DMI St Eugene student has pleaded not guilty to three counts of defamation of the President and one count of use of insulting language.

Edward Makayi is accused of insulting President Edgar Lungu on Facebook by saying “F**k you” and insinuating that the Head of State had multiple sexual partners including Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya and PF Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri.

Makayi is also alleged to have insulted Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo.

When the matter came up before magistrate Humphrey Chitalu, Makayi denied all the charges and one of his lawyers Martha Mushipe asked for bail.

14th August, 28th for mention and 3rd Nov trial.

Lawyer Mushipe made application for bail.

“Accused person is of fixed abord and he is a student at DMI St Eugene University. He is able to meet reasonable bail terms as this court will grant. This is a bailable offense, our humble plea is that the court exercise liniency in setting up bail terms taking into consideration that the accused is a student and the fact that he has been incarcerated since the 21st of July 2017 and as such over detained,” said Mushipe.

She also asked the court to order the state to surrender all the properties they had seized from her client.

“We also have a second application to make…the application is for restitution of the properties that were seized from the accused person without warrant. The items that were seized are two Toshiba laptops, meant for his school, two phones, one is a Microsoft Windows Phones and the other an S Mobile duo sim phone. Two flash discs, a school bag, a CV and documents pertaining to his school attachments, some CDs,” said Mushipe.

In his ruling, magistrate Chitalu granted Makayi two thousand kwacha cash bail with two working surities bound at five thousand kwacha in their own recognizance.

Magistrate Chitalu however dismissed the application for the state to surrender Makayi’s items saying it would disrupt the prosecutions case.

Trial commences in November.