By YVONNE CHATE –

A TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD Bank ABC sales representative has appeared in a Ndola magistrates’ court for allegedly swindling eight people out of about K20, 000.?Gwen Mwila of House Number 2, Jacaranda Road in the Town Centre, a sales representative of Bank ABC appeared before magistrate Misozi Banda for theft.
It is alleged that Mwila, on different dates, between May 11 and July 10, this year, collected different amounts of money from clients who wanted to open accounts with Bank ABC purporting that she was going to open accounts on their behalf and make deposits on their behalf.
Mwila is alleged to have collected K300 from Harry Chinyanta, 51, of House Number 2468 Pamodzi Township, K600 from Esther Zulu, 30, a teacher at Dambo Primary School, K4, 000 from Catherine Nakamba and K1, 500 from Linililani Mbewe.
She also allegedly collected K5, 000 from Benjamin Chanda, K1,100 from Veronica Mwanza, K2,100 from Prudence Malama and K8, 000 from Grace Mwanza.
Mr Chinyanta testified that on July 7, this year, he went to open two accounts for his children and was attended to by Mwila.?He said Mwila advised him to give her the money to open the account and told him that she was going to send him the account number by text message.
“I gave her the money because I trusted her because I always found her in the bank,” Mr Chinyanta said.
Ms Mwanza told the court that on June 30, this year, she went to withdraw money from the bank and Mwila approached her advising her to open a savings account to reduce on account maintenance charges.
She said she took Mwila’s advice and gave the accused K2,100 out of which a K50 was meant for opening the account.
Ms Mwanza said after some time, she called back asking for her new account number that was to be sent through an SMS but was told to go back to the bank at a later date and when she went there, she was told that Mwila was at Ndola Central Police Station in custody for theft.
The matter was adjourned to a later date.