Dora Siliya Falls Sick, Fails To Stand Corruption Case Trial

Dora Siliya yesterday failed to stand trial in her corruption case in the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court as she “is unwell”.
This is in matter in which Siliya, a former transport and communications minister in the MMD administration, is charged with two counts of abuse of authority of office contrary to the Laws of Zambia.
Siliya is in the first count alleged to have directed the cancellation of a duly awarded tender for the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of the Zambia Air Traffic Management Surveillance Radar System to Thales Air System SA.
Allegations in the second count are that Siliya accepted a free offer from Selex Sistemi Integrati S.P.A for the repair of a radar head at the then Lusaka International Airport, now Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, without following procedure.
When the matter came up for continuation of trial before chief resident magistrate Joshua Banda, Siliya’s lawyer, Lubinda Linyama, applied for an adjournment on grounds that his client was unwell and that doctors from a named health institution had given her a three-day bed rest.
As Linyama was making the application while producing a sick note, Siliya was standing in the accused box in a fairly packed courtroom.
Magistrate Banda asked the State if it had an objection to the application by the defence but it did not object.
The matter was adjourned to June 2.