A 24 years old employee of Zambia Postal Services Corporation in Katete district has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment with hard labour for theft.
John Ngoma of Chigaga section is believed to have stolen money amounting to 78, 754 Kwacha, property of Zambia Postal Services Corporation.
Ngoma stood charged with two counts of theft by Public Servant contrary to the laws of Zambia.
In the first count, it is believed that Ngoma in June last year, being a person employed as a postal officer stole cash money amounting to 30, 000 Kwacha while in the second count he stole 48, 754 Kwacha, property of his employer.
Ngoma is believed to have stolen the money when a customer named Limbikani Charles Banda wanted to use the Post Office, who is an agent of Bforward to buy a motor vehicle, Hino Ranger.
It was established that Ngoma then collected the said amounts and promised to help Limbikani buy the vehicle in his name so that he could easily track its movement then change ownership once the vehicle arrives in Zambia.
However later in the year it was discovered that Limbikani’s vehicle was not bought as agreed and the money he paid had gone missing.
In passing judgement yesterday, Katete Magistrate Mary Musongole said government is working hard to empower its citizens adding that frustrating such efforts was uncalled for.
Magistrate Musongole said the state had proved beyond any reasonable doubt through the testimony gathered from five witnesses who included Zam Post area manager, district supervisor and auditors of the cooperation.