THE Lusaka Magistrate’s Court heard yesterday that it is not true that President Hichilema directed Anti-Corruption Commission(ACC) and other law enforcement agencies to raid ex-President Edgar Lungu’s house.

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ACC corporate communication and public relations Timothy Moono testified that the President never directed the ACC to raid Mr Lungu’s residence, adding that the commission never receives directives.

This is contrary to Patriotic Front secretary general Raphael Nakacinda’s claims that the head of State had ordered ACC, Zambia Police Service and Drug Enforcement Commission to raid Mr Lungu’s residence in Chifwema.

This is in a case Nakacinda is charged with seditious practises in relation with utterances he made on September 26, 2024, while on Kanele FM’s Facebook page.

The accused claimed that President Hichilema directed law enforcement agencies to raid and search Mr Lungu’s house.

During trial yesterday, Mr Moono recalled how he once came across a video online where Nakacinda directed PF members to go and camp at Mr Lungu’s house.

Mr Moono said Mr Nakacinda further called on the party leadership to take steps on matters affecting the PF and that the party had listened and was going to be taking strong steps.

He said said in the same clip, the accused claimed that “it was unfortunate that the current President had directed law enforcement agencies which included the ACC, DEC, and Zambia Police to raid the residence of the former President Edgar Lungu”.

The witness said the accused claimed that the directive to raid Mr Lungu’s house was aimed at distracting the attention of the Zambians from the Constitutional Court case involving the ex-head of State.

“In that same video, Mr Nakacinda directed that all Patriotic Front members in Lusaka should convene at the residence of the former President Mr Lungu in Chifwema and ensure that they meet police when they come for the raid”.

Mr Moono said after viewing that video, he was concerned and sought to establish whether there was such an operation the commission was conducting that night at Mr Lungu’s house.

When he queried the acting ACC director general Monica Mwansa if there was an operation at Mr Lungu’s house, she replied in the negative.

Mr Moono said Ms Mwansa then directed that he issues a press release to dispel the allegations in the video and put the record straight.

He said he drafted a press release in which he indicated that the allegations by Mr Nakacinda were false.

“We do not get any direction from anybody since we are an autonomous institution and that the video by Mr Nakacinda was therefore false and should be dispelled by members of the public,” Mr Moono said.

However, the defence raised a preliminary issued contending that Mr Moono was illegally testifying in court.

“We move the court to strike out the evidence of this witness on record because the law is clear that an officer who is an employee of ACC cannot give evidence in any proceedings whether criminal or civil, in the exercise of that person’s functions,” Mr Botha said, quoting section 17(2) of 2012 Anti-Corruption Act.

The case comes up on March 31, 2025.

(Mwebantu, Tuesday, 18th February, 2025)