A 34-year-old Nigerian man, Nathaniel Barthram, and his girlfriend, Maria Zaloumis, have been charged in Zambia over the death of a 22-year-old man named Enoch Kasengele.
According to reports from Zambia on Tuesday, the case has now been moved to the High Court for trial after the Kabwe Magistrate’s Court downgraded the charge from murder to manslaughter and granted the suspects bail.
Barthram and Zaloumis are among five people accused of being involved in Kasengele’s death at Onani Farm in Kabwe on August 17. The other suspects are Daniel Chiluwa, Fortune Mwitangati, and Gift Daka.
Kasengele was said to be living along the Kabwe-Lusaka Road before the incident. Barthram, a Nigerian based at Tuzini Farm, and Zaloumis, a Zambian farmer living at Wonani Farm, were reportedly dating at the time.
The Zambian Police initially charged the group with murder on August 28. During their first court appearance, Magistrate Wamundila Liswaniso read out the charge, which stated that they were accused of killing Kasengele on August 17, contrary to Section 200, Chapter 87 of Zambian law.
After their arraignment, the suspects were kept at the Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility while awaiting approval from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
However, at the latest hearing, State Advocate Joseph Zimba told the court that the DPP had decided to reduce the charge to manslaughter.
The defence team then applied for bail, arguing that manslaughter is a bailable offence and that the accused were ready to meet any bail conditions.
The court granted each suspect K20,000 bail, with two traceable civil servants standing as sureties for each person. Barthram was also required to surrender his Nigerian passport to ensure he doesn’t leave the country during the trial.
The case has attracted widespread attention in Zambia and will continue at the High Court in tA 34-year-old Nigerian man, Nathaniel Barthram, and his girlfriend, Maria Zaloumis, have been charged in Zambia over the death of a 22-year-old man named Enoch Kasengele.
According to reports from Zambia on Tuesday, the case has now been moved to the High Court for trial after the Kabwe Magistrate’s Court downgraded the charge from murder to manslaughter and granted the suspects bail.
Barthram and Zaloumis are among five people accused of being involved in Kasengele’s death at Onani Farm in Kabwe on August 17. The other suspects are Daniel Chiluwa, Fortune Mwitangati, and Gift Daka.
Kasengele was said to be living along the Kabwe-Lusaka Road before the incident. Barthram, a Nigerian based at Tuzini Farm, and Zaloumis, a Zambian farmer living at Wonani Farm, were reportedly dating at the time.
The Zambian Police initially charged the group with murder on August 28. During their first court appearance, Magistrate Wamundila Liswaniso read out the charge, which stated that they were accused of killing Kasengele on August 17, contrary to Section 200, Chapter 87 of Zambian law.
After their arraignment, the suspects were kept at the Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility while awaiting approval from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
However, at the latest hearing, State Advocate Joseph Zimba told the court that the DPP had decided to reduce the charge to manslaughter.
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The defence team then applied for bail, arguing that manslaughter is a bailable offence and that the accused were ready to meet any bail conditions.
The court granted each suspect K20,000 bail, with two traceable civil servants standing as sureties for each person. Barthram was also required to surrender his Nigerian passport to ensure he doesn’t leave the country during the trial.
The case has attracted widespread attention in Zambia and will continue at the High Court in the coming weeks.
