By JOHN SAKALA
A Nakonde Teacher has been committed to prison for failing to pay a fine of K60, 000 ordered by the Nakonde Magistrate Court in February 2020.
Catherine Nakamba 30, of Muzabwela Village in Nakonde was in February this year convicted of two counts by the Nakonde Magistrate Court and sentenced to twelve (12) months simple imprisonment for each count to run concurrently.
The sentences were, however suspended. The convict was also fined K 60,000 which she was ordered to pay within 6 months, failure to which she would serve six months in prison.
In 2018, the Anti-Corruption Commission arrested Nakamba and charged her with one count of uttering a false document contrary to section 352 and 347 and one count of obtaining pecuniary advantage by false pretenses contrary to section 309 (a) respectively of the Penal Code chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the offence in count one are that on a date unknown but between 1st January 2012 and 31st January 2013 at Nakonde in the Nakonde District of the Muchinga Province of the Republic of Zambia, being a public officer namely a teacher employed in the Ministry of Education, Nakamba did knowingly and fraudulently utter a false document namely a Teacher’s Certificate no. 14288 to the District Education Board Secretary purporting that the said document was genuine when in fact not.
Under count two, the particulars are that on a date unknown but between January 1, 2012 and January 31, 2017 in Nakonde, being a Public Officer namely a teacher employed in the Ministry of Education, Nakamba did dishonestly and with false pretences purport to have a Primary Teacher’s Certificate in order to be employed as a teacher by the District Education Board Secretary under the Ministry of Education and was so employed, by virtue of which she obtained pecuniary advantage in form of salaries amounting to a total of K 184,084.70.
Nakamba is now currently committed to the Nakonde Correctional Facility where she will serve six months of imprisonment.
This is according to a media statement by ACC Public Relations Manager Timothy Moono.
