THE Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has found Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Colonel Dexter Maseka with a case to answer in a matter he is accused of lying before court that he knew nothing about properties allegedly belonging to former ZAF commander Lieutenant General Eric Chimese in Ibex Hill.

In this matter, Col Maseka, a 43-year-old procurement officer of Chamba valley, is charged with one count of Perjury.

Particulars of the offence allege that on July 9, 2019 in Lusaka, Col Maseka gave false information to Magistrate Nsunge Chanda that he knew nothing relating to the alleged Eric Mwaba Chimese properties situated in Ibex Hill along Twin Palm road when in fact not.

When the matter came up for ruling on case to answer, Tuesday, magistrate Alice Walusiku said she was satisfied that the State’s evidence did not fall short of a prima facie case to place Col Maseka on his defence.

“A prima facie case has been established against the accused and I hereby place him on his defence,” magistrate Walusiku said.

She adjourned the matter to May 11, this year, for Col Maseka’s defence.

During trial, an investigations officer at Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) testified that while Col Maseka told Magistrate Chanda that he knew nothing about the Ibex Hill properties allegedly belonging to Lt Gen Chimese, he informed her that he fixed aluminium windows at the said property.

Mirriam Mubialelwa, a senior investigations officer, testified that in July 2018, DEC received information alleging that Lt Gen Chimese had engaged in some illegal activities.

She said among the allegations raised were that he (Lt Gen Chimese) was trying to conceal properties in Ibex Hill where he built a single storey house, nine flats, among others.

Mubialelwa told the court that DEC later received information that furniture in the nine flats was being moved.

She added that this development prompted the commission to launch investigations to establish the owner of the Ibex Hill properties.

The State witness told the court that this was because Lt Gen Chimese alleged that the house and nine flats belonged to Chita lodges.

Mubialelwa said during investigations, she interviewed ZAF Major Cephas Mudaala who informed her that he was a project manager at the properties from 2012 to 2014.

She said Maj Mudaala said in 2014, he travelled to South Africa to attend a training course and handed over supervision of works at the Ibex properties to Col Maseka.

Mubialelwa said on January 2, 2019, she called Col Maseka to state the role he played on the said properties and he said that he never worked there.

She said after further interrogations on a later date, Col Maseka informed the investigations officers that he had fixed aluminium windows and helped correct some sewer pipes at the Ibex Hill properties.

Mubialelwa testified that when Col Maseka appeared before Magistrate Chanda, he gave a contrary statement regarding the Ibex Hill properties purporting that he never knew anything about them.

“During pre-trial, Col Maseka maintained that he fixed aluminium windows at the Ibex Hill properties,” said Mubialelwa.