Hakainde Hichilema’s lawyer Jack Mwiimbu says the High Court has not yet set any date of hearing for the treason case involving the UPND leader.

In an interview with News Diggers! Mwiimbu said his client hopped that there would be progress on the matter this week, considering that “it should not take longer than a month for the matter to be allocated after the date of committal”.

“It is our hope that by next week the date can be set but as for now we have not had any feedback from court pertaining to the date. But the record is ready and I hope that it was sent to the High Court yesterday (Friday) to enable the court to set the date,” Mwiimbu said.

Asked how long it would take for the case to be allocated, Mwiimbu said; “Well, it depends on the circumstances. It is supposed to take not more than a month from the date of committal. So we are confident that maybe by next week (this week) that will be done.”

And Mwiimbu said HH was physically fine but it was hard to tell what was going on internally.

“The physical appearance is okay, you never know what could be the internal problem,” said Mwiimbu in view of the letter that HH wrote to the Health Professions Council complaining about a doctor who has allegedly taken over his healthcare in prison by force.

Police raided Hichilema’s house on April 10, damaging furniture and the building in the process as they tried to smoke him out of his strong room. The following morning, police arrested and detained him in Lilayi Police Training College where he was kept incommunicado.

A few days later HH was charged along with several others for treason, blocking the presidential motorcade and use of insulting language.

The State however entered a nolle prosequi on May 10, in the case of obstructing the presidential motorcade in Mongu and five days later, the UPND leader was acquitted of using insulting language.

Acquitting HH, Magistrate Greenwell Malumani castigated the police officer who arrested the UPND leader saying it was clear that he was a liar and that he never investigated the cases against the accused including the treason charge.

After days of legal disagreements between the State and HH’s defence team, the UPND president was finally committed to the High Court on June 8 for trial in the unbailable treason case, which has kept him in remand prison for almost 90 days.