Lawyer Nelly Mutti denies K35m theft

LUSAKA lawyer Nelly Mutti has denied stealing about K35 million from the Zambian Government in a case in which she is facing 33 counts ranging from theft, uttering false documents to forgery.
This is in a case in which Mutti, 58, of Makeni is charged with a count of forgery, uttering false documents and 31 counts of theft, contrary to the Laws of Zambia.
When the matter came up before magistrate Humphrey Chitalu, Mutti said she understood all the charges but denied committing the offences.
It is alleged that in the first count, Mutti on dates unknown but between January 1, 2009 and April 1, 2009 in Lusaka, jointly and whilst acting with others, with intent to defraud or deceive, forged a civil servants voluntary separatees list purporting to show that it was genuinely made and issued by the Voluntary Separation Association of Zambia when in fact not.
In the second count, Mutti is alleged to have uttered a false document between January 1, 2002 and April 23, 2009 in Lusaka, knowingly and fraudulently, namely a civil servants voluntary separatees list to the principal registry of the High Court of Zambia.
In counts three to 33, Mutti is charged with theft of money in different amounts and on different dates from April 23, 2009 to June 21, 2013, amounting to over K35 million.