A 56 year old man of Nchelenge District has been fined K2, 000 in default 6 months imprisonment with hard labour, for stealing maize belonging to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU).
This was a case in which Fewdays Chipimbili of Kasepa village, pleaded guilty to being found in possession of property reasonably suspected to be stolen or unlawfully obtained contrary to section 319(a) of the Penal Code chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the offense are that on June 6, 2024, in Nchelenge District, Chipimbili did possess 9× 50 kilograms of maize valued at K2,970 suspected to be stolen or unlawfully obtained.
When Resident Magistrate, Luckson Mbewe, asked Chipimbili if the facts were true and correct, the defendant responded in the affirmative.
Chipimbili told the court that the maize came into his possession because DMMU engaged him in distributing the maize to the beneficiaries.
In mitigation, Chipimbili pleaded with the court for leniency adding that his family of 13 people would suffer if taken to jail.
In his ruling, Magistrate Mbewe described Chipimbili as a selfish man, who wanted to deprive nine families of their food allocation as beneficiaries under the DMMU relief distribution exercise. “You are a selfish man who cost nine families that were supposed to benefit from the maize, an act which makes you deserve a very severe punishment,” he ruled.
After accounting for Chipimbili’s mitigation, Magistrate Mbewe then fined Chipimbili K2, 000 in default 6 imprisonment with hard labour.
