36 year old Serenje woman imprisoned for theft

——–The Nakonde magistrate’s court in Muchinga Province has convicted and sentence a 36-year-old Serenje based business woman to 3 years simple imprisonment after she was found guilty on charges of theft contrary to the laws of Zambia.

Appearing before Nakonde Magistrate Joshua Sikazwe for Judgment yesterday was Bupe Musele of Serenje district in Central province.

The accused stood charged with one count of stealing KR6500 from two business persons Jacob Zulu of Lusaka and a Kitwe based woman Christine Chanda contrary to section 272 chapters 87 of the laws of Zambia.

Facts presented before the court were that on February 19 this year, Musele was arrested by police after she was reported to have stolen the said amount of money from the two named complainants who were together at Nakonde border where they went to order some goods for sale at Tunduma border in Tanzania.

Musele pleaded not guilty to the charge.

When passing judgment the magistrate said that following the evidence induced before court by the state witness he was convinced that the accused did commit the offence.

Magistrate Sikazwe said that he had taken into consideration all what the convict had said in mitigation but that cases to do with theft have become rampant in the area, adding that there was need to punish the offenders in order to contain the situation and deter other would offenders.

He said that he was therefore sending the convict to prison for three years simple imprisonment with effect from the day of arrest.

In mitigation Musele said that she was four months pregnant, and that it would be very difficult for her to keep the child when she delivers if she was given a custodial sentence and that she was therefore asking the honourable court to exercise maximum leniency on her.