MULENGA MUSONDA writes
TWO Zambia Police Officers have narrated in the Choma Magistrates Court how they were allegedly swindled out of over K15, 000 by former Zambia Under 17 Football Coach on the pretext that they had been offered plots by the Municipal Council.
This is in a matter in which Reuben Njavera who Coached Zambia under 17 between 2014 and 2015, later employed as Welfare Officer at Choma Municipal Council, stands charged with 19 counts of which 16 are that of uttering and making false documents purporting that they were issued by Choma Municipal Council when in fact not.
In the other 3 counts he is charged with obtaining money by false pretenses with intent to defraud contrary to section 309 of the Penal Code of Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the offences are that on dates unknown but between January 2017 and May 2018 Njavera with intent to defraud did obtain K26, 900 from Justin Ngosa, Brenda Kaluba and Thomas Nyirenda in separate transactions purporting that they had been offered plots by the Council when in fact not
When the matter came up for trial before Resident Magistrate Richard Chikalanga, first prosecution witness Thomas Nyirenda who is a Police Officer from the Traffic Department testified that on 28th February 2019 the accused person showed him a plot in Kamunza Compound that he claimed was being sold by Choma Council.
He said after being interested, he paid Njavera a total of K8, 000 in separate transactions and receipts were sent to him on whatsapp but when he inquired about hard copies of receipts the accused person became elusive for months.
“I was just surprised to see Njavera brought to the Police in handcuffs whilst I was at the inquiry, and when I asked the officer who brought him, he said this person sold plots illegally in Harmony Area,” Nyirenda testified.
Another Police Officer Brenda Kaluba also gave a similar testimony on how she paid Njavera K8000 for the plot, said she later discovered that the accused was in fact suspended from work at the time all this was happening.
She went on to say after a thorough investigation by the Police it was discovered that Njavera was issuing fake receipts and sending the soft copies on whatsapp to his victims.
The matter has since been adjourned to July 24, 2019 for continued trial while the accused person continues to remain on bail.
