Zambian court frees 5 Egyptians accused of espionage

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) – A Zambian court on Friday dropped espionage charges against five Egyptians and one Zambian who arrived in the capital Lusaka on a private plane carrying $5.7 million in cash and firearms three weeks ago.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Gilbert Phiri entered a nolle prosquei to release Walid Botros, Mounir Awad, Mohamed Gooda, Yasser Abdelghafor, Micheal Botros, and Osward Diangamo, the DPP said, referring to a legal term in which a prosecutor refuses to pursue charges.

Two of the Egyptians would be rearrested on lesser charges and freed on bond, said Hussein Khan, a spokesman at Zambia's Drug Enforcement Commission. Five other Zambian nationals were not freed and will still face trial at the high court, he added.

The 11 men, five Egyptians and six Zambians, were charged on Monday by a magistrates court.

In mid-August, the DEC had announced the seizure of $5.7 million in cash, 602 suspected gold bars, and five pistols with 126 rounds of ammunition from the plane that landed in Lusaka from Cairo.