Honeybee says the clock ran out on the DPP's appeal, and asks the Court of Appeal to end it

HoneyBee Pharmacy Limited and four co-applicants have asked the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge a ruling by the Economic and Financial Crimes Court (EFCC), in a fresh attempt to stop the Director of Public Prosecutions from reopening their acquittal in the US$17 million medical supplies case. The EFCC had refused to throw out the DPP's appeal. The applicants, who include HoneyBee Pharmacy Limited, its director Zakir Hussain Motala and co-accused Chomba Kaoma, now argue that the EFCC no longer has the power to hear the matter at all. ## The deadline argument The EFCC is a fast-track court with strict time limits. The applicants say that under its rules, the DPP's appeal should have been heard and decided by 7 March 2026. Even if the court had used the 45-day extension the rules allow, they say, that window closed on 21 April 2026, and no extension was formally granted. On that basis they argue that every hearing since April has been outside the law, and they want the Court of Appeal to decide whether the EFCC can still lawfully hear the DPP's case. ## The State's answer The State, represented by Senior State Advocate Victor Chongo, opposed the application. He told the court that the delays were largely caused by the applicants themselves, through their repeated court challenges, including their fight against the earlier decision allowing the DPP to appeal out of time. Chongo said the DPP is ready to argue the appeal on its merits, and warned that allowing yet another appeal on a side issue would frustrate justice and delay a final decision once more. ## Six years and counting The case dates back to 2020, when the Ministry of Health awarded HoneyBee Pharmacy a contract for 22,500 health centre kits worth about US$17.9 million. Condoms and surgical gloves supplied under the contract were later found to have failed quality tests, causing public outrage. The Anti-Corruption Commission later charged then Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya, senior minist