By KASONDE  KASONDE-
SIX armed robbers in Kapiri Mposhi yesterday tied a Tanzanian truck driver to a tree and stole more than K2,000 cash and other personal belongings from his truck.
Laurens Kiloworo, 43, was driving a Scania tanker registration number T945CZS, trailer number T466BKH, en route from Tanzania to Lusaka.
He stopped to give a hand to a fellow truck driver who had a breakdown some 80 kilometres from Kapiri Mposhi when he was attacked by six criminals who were armed with a pistol.
The victim was tied to a tree some 20 metres away from his truck as the robbers searched the truck.
Central Province Police Commissioner Standwell Lungu said the bandits made off with Mr Kiloworo’s personal belongings, including K800 cash and 300 Tanzanian shillings valued at K2,370.
Mr Lungu said the incident occurred on Saturday around 02:00 hours, adding that the driver sustained bruised legs and painful left thumb.
The police chief said the criminals emerged from the bush and ambushed the driver, and that police had since launched investigations into the matter.
Meanwhile, a 12-year-old girl has been defiled by a 17-year-old boy of Chief Malembeka’s area in Mpongwe District.
Mr Lungu confirmed the incident, which happened on Friday last week.
He said police had since arrested the suspect and charged him with defilement.
The suspect, who has been identified, is from Lwamabwe area in Mpongwe District. Mr Lungu said the victim was coming from a hammer mill when she met the defiler who demanded for sex.
Mr Lungu said when the girl refused, the teenage suspect dragged her into the bush where he defiled her.