NOEL IYOMBWA writes
@SunZambian
A 29-YEAR-OLD mobile money retailer of Chazanga has narrated how his workmate committed suicide after six men armed with guns attacked them and robbed them of more than K 60,000 cash.
Masauso Phiri, a mobile money transfer supervisor, said in an interview on August 23 he knocked off around 21:00 hours from his usual work in the company of his colleague Jackson Mambwe, 29, a younger brother of his boss, with a bag containing more than K60,000.
He said after knocking off, he phoned his usual driver to drop him and his colleague home but on their way home, a Toyota Regius suddenly blocked them and six armed with guns disembarked from the vehicle.
They broke the front window and pointed a gun at him demanding money.
“Pa 23 August pamene tina komboka kuma 21:00 hours namu zanga, mufana waba boss. Nina tumila driver wamene amatitenga. So after tafika pa malo bama itana ati
[when we reached a place called]
Mailoni Car Park tinaona che Toyota Regius ya parking’a kusogolo kwatu. Ntawi ing’ono bamuna bali six nama mask bana choka namafuti umodzi anasala mumotoka.
“Umodzi anaenda direct kuli driver nakupwanya window, winangu anabwela kuli ine nakupunda ati ‘C5!’.
“Babwela bakamba ati ‘ndalama zili kuti?’. Nabwela nabauza ati ndalama nilibe nimwamene bananidonsa nakutenga bag yandalama nama phone yali six nama keys yamotoka,” Mr Phiri said.
(On August 23 my boss’s younger brother and I knocked off from work. I phoned the driver who usually picks us and we started off.
When we reached a placed called Mailoni Car Park suddenly a Toyota Regius blocked us, then six men with masks armed with fire arms. They disembarked from their vehicle, then one of them broke the window of the car on the driver’s side while another pointed a gun at me and told us that they were from the C5 police crack squad and demanded for money.
But when I told them I had no money he grabbed me and got a bag containing money, car keys and six phones)
Mr Phiri narrated that after the robbers had sped away with the money, he told Mambwe they should go to the police station to report the robbery, which he resisted, but he managed to convince him.
They reported the heist to Bwafwano Police Post.
“The police visited the crime scene, and later issued a police report,” Mr Phiri said.
He said Mr Mambwe, who was the younger brother of his employer, had been injured during the robbery.
So, he went to a clinic for treatment.
Mr Phiri said the following day he went to Mr Mambwe’s home so that the two could go back to the police post to give more information.
But when he arrived, he heard Mr Mambwe screaming from his room.
He forced himself into the room where he found Mr Mambwe lying on the floor writhing in pain.
Mr Phiri discovered that his workmate had ingested sulphuric acid.
“Pamene tinaziba ati amwa acid tinamupeleka pa private clinic. Banamupasa mankwala, koma siku yokonkapo anamwalila,”he said.
(After discovering that he had drunk acid, we rushed him to a private clinic where he was given treatment but the following day he died)
Mr Phiri is, however, living in fear because Mr Mambwe’s relatives are blaming him for his death as they suspect that he had connived with the robbers.
Mr Mambwe has since been buried and police are investigating the matter.
