The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has found three people guilty and sentenced them to prison for one to two years of hard labor for stealing government medicines and supplies valued at over two hundred thousand kwacha.
These supplies were intended for Nangoma Mission Hospital.
The guilty parties include KENNETH CHIKWANDA, an Administration Officer in the Zambia Police Service; VINCENT CHIBALE, a Pharmacy Technologist at Sikanze Hospital; and ACKIM SAKALA, a Pharmacy Technologist at Nangoma Mission Hospital. They were convicted of forgery, presenting a false document, and handling suspected stolen medicines.
On the other hand, the court cleared one of the accused, POTIPHER PHIRI, a police officer and driver, because there wasn’t enough evidence against him.
While giving the verdict, Magistrate CHRISPIN HAMPUNGANI pointed out that the convicted individuals, as civil servants, had a responsibility to help the Zambian people but instead chose to cheat the Government.
Magistrate HAMPUNGANI also ordered that the value of the stolen medicines be taken from the convicts’ salaries or any other benefits they might receive, and returned to the Government of Zambia.
The case details include:
- Count One: CHIKWANDA, PHIRI, and SAKALA, between 1 January 2019 and 30 November 2020, with the intention to deceive, forged a delivery note dated 17 November 2020, pretending it was genuinely issued by Medical Stores Limited – MSL.
- Count Two: On 18 November 2020, PHIRI knowingly and fraudulently presented the forged delivery note to ACKIM SAKALA.
- Count Three: Between 1 January 2019 and 30 November 2020, CHIKWANDA, CHIBALE, and PHIRI, in their public service jobs, stole various government items worth over two hundred thousand kwacha.
- Count Four: PHIRI was found with two 5-litre containers of disinfectant that were reasonably suspected to be stolen or obtained illegally.
