Kapiri Mposhi Magistrate Court has sentenced a 35 year old man to two years imprisonment for impersonating a Zambia Air Force (ZAF) officer and obtaining money on the pretext he would facilitate employment of a person in the Air force.
Businessman Gibert Phiri of Chindwin Barracks stood charged before Kapiri Mposhi Magistrate, Arnold Kasongamulilo with an offence of obtaining money by false presences contrary to Section 309 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the offence are that Phiri on March 4, 2022 while in Kapiri Mposhi with intent to defraud obtained K 340 cash from Alice Moono by falsely pretending to be a ZAF officer claiming that he would assist her daughter, Exilda Syambale, to be employed in the Zambia Air Force when in fact not.
Mr Phiri readily pleaded guilty as charged.
According to written facts before the court by State Prosecutor Chikankeni Mwanza, on March 3, 2022 around 18:00 hours the complainant, Moono was approached by Phiri who introduced himself as a ZAF officer based at Abita 42 Camp along the Kapiri-Ndola road.
He further informed her that he was attending a meeting near her area for recruiting new officers in ZAF and that she should submit a name of her relative to help get employed in the Air force.
The complainant then submitted her daughter’s name, Exilda Syambale, upon which Phiri left and assured the complainant that he would bring the employment form after the recruitment meeting.
The following day Phiri returned and assured Moono that he had managed to secure employment for her daughter in ZAF and later asked for K340 for transport in order for him to collect the employment form from Kabwe.
However, when Phiri got the money he went for good, prompting the complainant to report the matter to police.
And through police investigations Phiri was apprehended and charged and arrested for the subject offence.
In mitigation, Phiri pleaded to the court to exercise leniency on him as he was a Tuberculosis patient on medication.
But in passing judgement Magistrate Kasongamulilo noted that cases of people being swindled out of their hard earned money for employment placements have become rife in Zambia and the court will mete out appropriate sentences to deter the scourge.
“To the benefit of the accused I have heard your mitigation and I will not give you a maximum three year sentence but 24 months imprisonment with hard labour,” Magistrate Kasongamulilo said.
ZANIS
