Hundreds of Mongu (a town in Western Zambia) residents today gathered at Limulunga Local Court to witness a case involving a Roman Catholic Priest who has been accused of committing adultery.
From 09:00hours to about 18:00hrs this evening, scores of residents missed their lunch and braved the scotching heat to hear allegations of moral misconduct against a local Catholic clergy.
Appearing before Senior Local Court Magistrate David Kachimwa and Local Magistrate Matina Mutete was Father Leo Ululi of St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Parish in Limulunga Royal village.
Facts before the court are that on dates unknown but between January 2011 and March 5, 2011, the clergyman is alleged to have committed adultery with Ireen Simaubi , a Zambia Prison Service (ZPS) officer.
“Your worship I have now been turned into a Catholic Priest while Fr. Ululi has now assumed my position and is enjoying life with my wife,” he complained.Ireen’s husband Hector Simaubi 33, officer-in-Charge at Limulunga Police Station told the court that the accused priest had been frequenting his house, making mobile phone calls and sending text messages as well as picking and staying out with his wife even during awkward hours.
Mr. Simaubi told the packed courtroom that his wife’s attitude towards him has changed since she joined the St. Lawrence Catholic Parish in Limulunga Royal Village where Fr. Ululi is Priest.
He explained that his marriage is no longer the same as his wife has allegedly continued to deny him sex.
“Your worship I have now been turned into a Catholic Priest while Fr. Ululi has now assumed my position and is enjoying life with my wife,” he complained.
In both cross examination and defence, the Priest pleaded not guilty to the charge of adultery.
“Your Worship, the plaintiff has failed to bring before this august gathering tangible and scientific evidence to prove that I had segxwal intercourse with his wife,” he said.
During the court hearing which took close to 10 hours, the accused, Fr. Ululi called in seven witnesses while the plaintiff called in only four witnesses.
“Your Worship, the plaintiff has failed to bring before this august gathering tangible and scientific evidence to prove that I had segxwal intercourse with his wife,” he said.When asked to explain the meaning of the 77 mobile phone calls and 48 text messages allegedly sent from his phone to Mrs. Simaubi as evidenced in a printout from a named mobile phone provider, the Catholic Priest told the court that his conversations were mostly on Church matters.
He insisted that he could not give details about the matter because he was under the seal of confession under the cannon law of the Catholic Priesthood.
“As a priest I receive a lot of confessions from different church members which cannot be disclosed to anyone,” he explained.
And when asked to explain why he signed a document in which he is quoted as having accepted of making numerous phone calls and spending time with Mrs. Simaubi, Fr. Ululi told the court that he was made to sign under duress.
“Your worship I was dealing with a policeman who threatened to shoot and assault me if I failed to comply,” he said.
Meanwhile Fr. Ululi has alleged that his case has been politically motivated owing to massive publicity it has attracted.At one moment during the hearing, there was audible murmuring within and outside the courtroom when defence witnesses continued giving conflicting evidence.
A case in point was when one of the defence witnesses, only identified as Mubita confessed that he had actually tipped the plaintiff that he suspected his wife and the priest were having an intimate relationship.
Meanwhile Fr. Ululi has alleged that his case has been politically motivated owing to massive publicity it has attracted.
The case has since been adjourned to Friday March 18 for judgment.
http://www.lusakatimes.com/2011/03/16/catholic-priest-appears-court-adultery/
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