A 51-year-old senior security officer yesterday has narrated how he discovered that a civil servant and an Aviation Security Consultancy assistant had allowed 12 unauthorized persons to have access to the VIP lounge at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA).

Neddy Banda, who is in charge of airport security at KKIA said the 12 unauthorised persons were in the company of UPND president Hakainde Hichilema who was authorised to access the VIP lounge.

In this matter, Paul Mwensu and Chrispine Nyangu of Meanwood and Chelstone extension, are charged with disobedience to statute duty contrary to section 126 the the Penal Code Chapter 87 as read with section 8(3) of the Civil Aviation Act no 5 of 2016 and regulations 29(1)(a)(1)(11) of the Zambia Security Intelligence Service.

The duo are alleged to have on February 21, this year, willfully and unlawfully disobeyed orders and instructions from the Statutes or Act.

They allegedly allowed unauthorized persons into a restricted area, namely the VIP lounge at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA).

And when the matter came up for commencement of trial, Monday, before Lusaka magistrate Racheal Mwansa, Banda told the court that the airport had two areas known as non restricted and restricted areas.

He said the non restricted area was open to the public while the restricted area was restricted to specific people.

Banda told the court that on the material day, he received a report from his subordinate, Mildred Mutale, who was a supervisor running one of the operational areas at the airport, that Hichilema and 12 others were allowed into the restricted area without authority by the two accused persons.

He added that Hichilema was allowed to pass through the restricted area as he was traveling to South Africa, whereas the 12 others were not.

Banda said after receiving the report, he got to the ground to acquaint himself with what transpired.

“My findings were that Mr Hichilema was at airport accompanied by 12 others and that Nyangu was the one manning the access control point which was the first entry into the restricted area. The accused allowed Mr Hichilema and 12 others into the VIP,” he said.

Banda said that after gathering the information, he reported to his superiors.

He added that he established during his investigations that the 12 who were with Hichilema were the ones who were not allowed to go into the VIP.

Magistrate Mwansa adjourned the matter to July 29, 2019 to allow the accused persons to engage lawyers as they had difficulties in cross examining the witness.