By Ronaldo Kalangi
A court in Zambia has ordered for the arrest of Democratic Republic of Congo’s rhumba star Koffi Olomide for allegedly assaulting a photographer six years ago.
Olomide, 62, whose real name is Antoine Christopher Agepa Mumba, was due to appear in court this week but did not show up, after which magistrate Mwandu Sakala issued a warrant for his arrest. The maestro had been requested to appear in court before he left at the end of a series of shows in the country but departed Zambia without presenting himself to a judge.
Olomide’s promoter in Zambia Mark Mumbalama requested that the court gives Olomide more time to appear because of difficulties delivering the summons. The Congolese star (pictured) allegedly assaulted Rwandan photojournalist Jean Nepomuscene Ndayisenga during a gig at the luxury Pamodzi hotel in Lusaka Zambia on December 28, 2012.
Ndayisenga accuses Olomide of kicking him in the face. “I fell down after kicking me,i had my middle finger of my left arm broken and the lens of the camera broken,”he said.
The journalist’s lawyer Gilbert Phiri requested that the court issue a warrant for Olomide’s arrest, arguing that he had previously failed to appear on several previous occasions.
Ndayisenga secured summons requesting the star to appear in court to answer the charges on July 27, a day before Olomide was due to begin his Zambian tour. “I have granted an application for a bench warrant,” said magistrate Sakala.
