EX-MURDER convict Keith Mukata denies having sex with wife while in prison, argues that the law does not allow.
Keith Mukata has submitted in the Lusaka High Court that he never had sex with wife Maricoh during his incarceration as the law does not allow conjugal rights to prisoners, this is according to Court records seen by Mwebantu.
But wife, Maricoh Roisin, who filed for divorce, stated in her reply to Mukata’s cross petition that her husband was given chance to have sexual intercourse in the Correctional Facility officer-in-charge’s office at every prison visit both at Lusaka Central Correctional Facility (Chimbokaila) and Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility.
Maricoh stated that because of the privilege, she has a three-year-old child with Mukata from the pregnancy conceived during sexual intercourse act at every prison visit while Mukata was in jail.
Mukata was arrested for shooting dead his security guard in 2017.
In 2018, the High Court convicted him and sentenced to death by hanging but was this year pardoned.
According to Mukata’s answer and cross petition filed in court, he has consented that divorce be granted because the marriage has broken down irretrievably but not because of the reasons given by his wife.
He stated that he was incarcerated at Maximum Correctional Facility in Kabwe in 2017 and by reason thereof, it was not practical for him to avail Maricoh’s demands by way of conjugal rights as the law does not allow for the conjugal rights to prisoners.
Mukata stated that during his absence, Maricoh was irresponsible towards him and the children and that there was no room for healthy communication between them.
He stated that Maricoh spent late nights out of the matrimonial home leaving the children with no one to take care of them.
Mukata claimed that Maricoh attempted to commit fraud by removing his name from contracts for purchase of a property jointly owned by the couple.
He stated that after his release from prison, he has never been in contact with the wife either verbally, in person or through agents.
Mukata stated that the only contact made to Maricoh was through her relatives for the purpose of holding family meetings to look into their problems, unfortunately, her family denied him such audience stating that they would meet him head on.
He wants the court to dissolve the marriage and grant him full custody of the children.
But Maricoh, in her reply to Mukata’s answer, maintained that the husband was given chance to have intercourse with her in the officer-in-charge’s office at prison, which resulted in pregnancy and the birth of her fourth child.
She also prayed that the marriage be dissolved.
