A State witness has told the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court that Chishimba Kambwili is the principle signatory of a Mwamona Engineering and Technical Services bank account with Atlas Mara domiciled in Luanshya.

Silvia Kayanje, a 39-year-old branch manager for Atlas Mara in Longacres told the court that all documents which Mwamoma Engineering presented to the bank were authentic.

This is the matter in which Kambwili is facing three counts of forgery, uttering false documents and giving false information to a public officer.

And when the matter came up for continued trial before magistrate David Simusamba, Friday, Kayanje told the court that between 2008 and 2014, she worked in Luanshya as branch manager of Finance Bank, now Atlas Mara.

The witness told the court that during the same period in 2008, Mwamona Engineering opened an account with the bank.

She said Kambwili was the principle signatory of Mwamona Engineering and Technical Services bank account with his wife Carol and son, Mwamba as signatories.

Kayanje said she received a letter of instructions introducing Jacob Mwanza and Victor Siame to be signatory to the Mwamona bank account which was signed by Carol and Kambwili as signatories.

The witness further told the court that most of the interactions with the bank were done by Kambwili who would instruct the transfer of money or make withdraws over the counter.

She said Kambwili’s wife who was based in the United Kingdom, would also visit the Bank to make withdraws whenever she was in the country.

Further, Kayanje said Mwamba Chishimba would also give instructions to the bank to do a swift transfer.

“During the time I was branch manager, we received an introduction letter to introduce Mr Jacob Mwanza to be a signatory to the account and it was signed off by honourable Chishimba Kambwili and Carol Kambwili. There was also another introduction letter to introduce Mr Victor Siame to the account signed by Kambwili, Mwamba Kambwili and Carol Kambwili,” she said.

“When the Mwamona account was being opened, it was stated that the principal signatories will be honourable Kambwili but when Mrs Kambwili was around, she was also part of the signatories. Carol Chishimba specifically would come and make withdraws when she’s in the country as she’s based in the UK. Mwamba Chishimba would give instructions to do a swift transfer.”

Kayanje, however, told the court that she wouldn’t know how old Mwamba was but said he was a teenager at the time he accompanied his father in 2008 to make bank transactions.

She further told the court that anyone who had an NRC could be a signatory to an account.

And when she asked by defense lawyer Keith Mweemba if she knew that Mwamba only became a signatory to the account in 2016, the witness said she wouldn’t know.

She further admitted that all documents that Mwamona Engineering presented to the bank were authentic.

Trial continues on June 13.