THE Lusaka High Court has adjourned hearing for all applications relating to a matter in which former president Edgar Lungu’s barber, Shebby Chilekwa, wants the court to summon police to show cause as to why they have continued detaining him, to today.
The state recently asked Lusaka High Court judge Mwape Bowa to review or vary his order in which he commanded the Zambia Police Service to allow Chilekwa to access medical treatment at the University Teaching Hospital.
The state also asked the court to stay execution of the said order pending determination of the application, arguing that it is unnecessary and costly to bring Chilekwa from Kaoma to Lusaka when he is being attended to in a government medical facility (Kaoma District Hospital) with the same amenities as the UTH.
Judge Bowa was on Monday scheduled to hear the state’s application for the court to review or vary its earlier order, but adjourned hearing to today.
This was after the parties agreed that since Chilekwa’s habeas corpus application was scheduled to be heard today, it was better that all the applications pending in the matter be heard on today as well.
One of the lawyers representing Chilekwa, Jonas Zimba, confirmed this with journalists after the case was adjourned.
“At the sitting, it was essentially agreed that since the writ of habeas corpus is coming up tomorrow (Tuesday) for hearing, which is the main matter, all applications should come up tomorrow as well. The Attorney General has also indicated that they intend to oppose the application for habeas corpus, which simply means that they intended to avoid bringing the body before court as directed by the court,” he said.
Zimba further informed journalists that they have not yet seen their client and did not know where he was.