By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –

A SIXTY-ONE-year-old peasant farmer in Kasama, Northern Province has appeared in the Lusaka Magistrate Court for attempting to steal K350,985 from the State.

Stanslous Chomba attempted to obtain the money from the Ministry of Justice by pretending he had been awarded costs and interest by the Supreme Court after his case was disposed of. Chomba is charged with forgery contrary to the law.

It is alleged that Chomba on August 14, 2011 at Lusaka with intent to defraud or deceive, forged a letter of requisition of the Ministry of Justice to pay him interest and costs in the sum of K350,985 purporting to show that it was genuinely issued and signed by authorised signatories at Supreme court.

Chomba is also charged with uttering a false document. It is alleged that between August 14, 2011 and April 3, 2014 knowingly and fraudulently did utter a false document namely a letter to Evaristo Chifumbano, a senior accountant of the Ministry of Finance with intent to defraud.

He is thirdly charged with attempt to obtain money by false pretences.

Chomba is alleged to have between August 14 20 2011 and April 2014 at Lusaka with intent to defraud or deceive, attempted to obtain K350,985 cash from the Ministry of Justice by falsely pretending that he had been awarded cost and interest by the Supreme court.

Information further obtained, indicated that Chomba was arrested in Mr Chifumbano’s office, where he had gone to collect the money.

The police was alerted about his presence and upon arresting him, they found him in possession of a letter dated February 20, 2014 addressed to the permanent secretary Ministry of Finance where he was complaining about delayed payment of the K350,895.

Chomba was also found with another letter dated 14 August 2011 from Ministry of Justice purported to have been signed by a Ms Margaret Kombe, acting chief state advocate.

The Police contacted Ms Komba but she denied having signed the letter and Chomba was eventually arrested.