THE Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has denied bail to former defence minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba pending his appeal against a five-year sentence. On October 9, 2024, Magistrate Sandford Ngobola convicted and sentenced Mwamba to five years imprisonment with hard labour for conflict of interest and being in possession of property suspected of being proceeds of crime. Magistrate Ngobola also sentenced Mwamba to a fine of K50,000 for money laundering. In his ruling delivered in chambers, Magistrate Ngobola said although Mwamba’s medical condition was a good ground, it was not enough to warrant his release on bail. “The record confirms that he has a chronic heart condition which has over the past six months entailed him to receive medical attention in South...