FRA depot clerk jailed for theft

FRA depot clerk jailed for theft
Chinsali , March 6, 2015,ZANIS….A Food Reserve Agency (FRA) depot clerk at Kaso in Chinsali District of Muchinga province has been jailed for 14 months for forgery and theft.

 The court has however acquitted three other people including two Finance Bank employees of Chinsali branch that were jointly charged with 33 year-old Christopher Chanda.

The quartet were charged with forgery and theft of K 54,940.00

ZANIS in Chinsali reports that this is in a matter where Christopher Chanda an FRA depot Clerk, Peter Mulenga ,26, also a depot clerk, and two Finance Bank employees Warmster Nchimunya ,30, and Yuyi Mulonda ,32 were jointly charge with five counts of forgery, theft by servant and theft contrary to the laws of Zambia.

Facts before the court were that between 29 August and 20 November ,2013 the four accused  persons did forge three Produce receipt certificates notes (PRCN) Number 227961 for Hadrian Bwalya , 810129 for Chiti Kizito and number 227963 belonging to Patrick Musonda amounting to K54,940  purporting to be true when in-fact not.

In count two and three the two FRA depot clerks were charged for uttering false documents and theft by servant while in counts four and five the two bankers were charged with theft.

And Chinsali Magistrate Shadreck Chanda said the court had found Chanda guilty upon his own admission of guilt as charged and acquitted Mulenga, Nchimunya and Mulonda.

He said the evidence was over whelming and clear against Chanda adding that he was the master minder.

Magistrate Chanda further added that Christopher Chanda’s evidence where he admitted having received the money despite the accused being economical with the truth by failing to disclose who he shared the money with proved that he was the chief planner of the theft.

Magistrate Chanda said the court heard Chanda’s mitigation but warned that being poor was not a death sentence and that people had continued to survive despite being poor.

He sentenced Chanda to 9 months imprisonment on count 1 and 3 and 14 months imprisonment with hard labour in count 2 adding that the sentences will run concurrently with effect from the date of arrest.

He acquitted the two bankers on count 4 and 5.

In mitigation, Chanda asked for maximum leniency from the court saying he was a first offender and that he was remorseful for what he did.