Major Richard Kachingwe, the State's star witness in the on going trial of Zambia's former president Rupiah Banda, has some serious baggage in the closest stashed away for almost 10 years.

He helped a Burundi woman, Dyna Chantal Kezakimana travel on a forged Zambian passport under an alias name, Precious Kapepula.

This came to light Thursday July 11, 2013 when Kachingwe was being cross examined by one of the former president's lawyers Sakwiba Sikota.

Sikota made reference to a letter dated 20th September, 2004 addressed to the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy, MMD, National Secretary Vernon Mwaanga.

The letter was from the third republican president Levy Mwanawasa who was also the acting president of the MMD

Mwanawasa was in possession of an intelligence report showing glaring revelations of how Kachingwe duped Dr. Kalombo Mwansa, who was Minister of Foreign Affairs, to assist in getting visas for a Party delegation to Sweden.

In the letter whose subject was Major Richard Kachingwe - Deputy National Secretary Mwanawasa wrote: "I have received the following disturbing report on Major Richard Kachingwe:-

"... ... .Major Kachingwe has been named in a case in which he obtained visas for an alleged MMD delegation to Sweden and yet it turned out that one of the purported member of the three (3) member delegation was a Burundese national, who used a forged Zambian passport, but was arrested and eventually deported from Sweden."

"The background to this, Your Excellency, is that Major Kachingwe, on 2nd April, 2004 approached Hon. Kalombo Mwansa, Minister of Foreign Affairs and informed him that he was leading a three (3) man MMD delegation to Sweden on Party business and requested to be assisted in obtaining visas.

"Mr. Kachingwe gave the names of the other members of the delegation as Mrs. Susan Kachingwe, his wife and Ms. Precious Kapepula, a Party official from the MMD Secretariat.

"Upon receipt of this information, Hon Mwansa instructed the Chief of Protocol, Mr. Darius Bubala to assist Mr. Kachingwe. The Chief of Protocol then prepared a note-verbale number 511/2004 dated 2nd April, 2004 requesting the Embassy of Sweden to issue visas to Mr. & Mrs. Kachingwe and Ms Kapepula. Mr.Kachingwe was given the note-verbale in question.

"Your Excellency, on 8th June, 2004 a Miss Dyna Chantal Kezakimana, a Burundese national presented the same note-verbale to the Embassy of Sweden and applied for a visa using a forged Zambian passport number ZK 018105 in the name of Ms Precious Kapepula.

"The Embassy of Sweden issued the visa on the strength of the backing by a Ministry of Foreign Affairs note-verbale.

"Later on 6th July, 2004, Mr. Kachingwe and Ms Kezakimana alias Ms Kapepula boarded flight No BA 254 destined for London. However, Major Kachingwe was removed from the plane before take-off due to anomalies on his air ticket.

"Ms Kezakimana was allowed to travel and ended up in Sweden where she was later arrested and deported to Zambia for not having sufficient resources for her sustenance whilst in Sweden. Ms Kezakimana was arrested on 23rd July, 2004 upon return to Zambia for using a forged Zambian passport.

"She appeared before a Lusaka magistrate's court on 18th August, 2004 and was fined six hundred thousand Kwacha (K600,000.00) or in default five (5) months imprisonment. She paid the fine and was later deported to Burundi.

"Your Excellency, Major Kachingwe's actions in this matter is an embarrassment to the Zambian government in the eyes of the Embassy of Sweden, which happens to be one of our reliable partners. Major Kachingwe has in the past been accused of soliciting for and obtaining money from business houses on behalf of the MMD which moneys are usually not surrendered to the Party.

"This report, if true, is extremely embarrassing. I would be most grateful if you would investigate it by calling Ambassador Darius Bubala, the Chief of Protocol and speaking to Hon. Dr.Kalombo Mwansa, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs and our Chairman for International Relations then interview Major Kachingwe himself.

"If you form the impression that Major Kachingwe is indeed guilty of the allegation made against him, this matter should be reported to the National Executive Committee at its next meeting. I am not aware of an MMD trip to Sweden and indeed the so-called MMD delegation must be a figment of Major and Mrs.

Kachingwe in collusion with the fugitive Kezakimana," concluded Mwanawasa.

Kachingwe seems to have apologised for his actions which could have triggered a diplomatic row with Sweden as suggested in a letter again written by Mwanawasa to Vernon Mwaanga the MMD National Secretary dated 8th November, 2004.

Again the subject was Major Richard Kachingwe and Mwanawasa wrote:

"I thank you for your letter dated 21st October, 2004 and indeed this was a most embarrassing and unnecessary event. The Party will accept the apology from Major Kachingwe but should the law enforcement officers decide to proceed against Major Kachingwe, you should please inform him that the Party will not be there to protect him," said Mwanawasa in the letter.

This is the state's star witness.