Zambia: No bail for couple on trial for gay sex

Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran living in Southern…

Family members give moral support to Phil Mubiyana and James Mwape in their jail cell. — Family members give moral support to Phil Mubiyana and James Mwape in jail cell.

Two men in Kapiri Mposhi arrested for allegedly being in a homosexual relationship have been denied bail by a Kapiri Mposhi magistrate’s court on the basis that they may commit the same crime if released.

The two men, both aged 21, had allegedly been in a same-sex ‘marriage’ until members of the public became suspicious of the way they postured themselves, suggesting intimacy.

Scores of residents yesterday turned up to see the two men as others mocked them. …

Defence lawyers, William Ngwira and Bwalya Mubanga from SBN practitioners, applied for bail but the State objected on the basis that the two accused persons could commit the same offence again.

In rejecting the bail application, the magistrate said the accused persons may also interfere with key witnesses considering that one of them was staying with his sister and brother who are witnesses in the matter.
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Earlier, Mr Ngwira applied to the court to adjourn the case in order for him to make submissions on constitutional issues.

The court has set June 5, 2013 as the date for ruling over the constitutional issues.

For more information, read the full story, entitled “Zambia: Kapiri ‘Gay’ Couple Denied Bail.” Also is the related articles from this blog, listed below.