By CHARLES MUSONDA
A LUSAKA businessman has been convicted after admitting stealing fuel in transit and forging documents purporting to show that the consignment had been delivered to TAZAMA Petroleum Products Limited.
Before Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Lameck Mwale yesterday was Daniel Singoyi, 39, of Kamwala South, who admitted stealing 36,000 litres of diesel valued at K204, 135, 56 after diverting a Tanzanian fuel tanker in connivance with its driver Frank Anastasia, a Tanzanian national.
Singoyi also admitted four counts of forging documents purporting to show that they were genuinely signed and issued by officers from TAZAMA Petroleum Products Limited when in fact not.
According to facts before court, on May 5, 2016 Stephen Tembo, an officer working for TAZAMA, complained on behalf of the company that between March 14, 2016 and March 30, 2016, in Lusaka, an unknown Tanzanian driver of a Scania truck registration number T629DDC and trailer number T718DDC jointly and whilst acting with Singoyi stole the fuel. Mr. Tembo also reported that Singoyi forged a petroleum product inspection report, a product receipt note, and an SIS truck sounding report.
Police investigations revealed that upon entering Zambia, Anastasia connived with Singoyi and diverted the entire truck load and offloaded the fuel along the Ndola-Kapiri road where they sold it to some unknown people.
On April 26, 2019, Singoyi and Anastasia were charged and arrested with the alleged mastermind Miselo Banda, a Ndola resident.
Asked if the facts were true and correct, Singoyi admitted saying he did not wish to add or subtract anything.
Mr. Mwale then found Singoyi guilty and convicted him accordingly upon his own admission of guilt and acknowledgement of the facts.
At this point public prosecutor Stuyvesant Malambo informed the court that Singoyi is a second offender as he was already convicted by another Magistrate Felix Kaoma and is serving the sentence for a similar offence that the involved different tankers.
Mr. Mwale then adjourned the case to April 14, 2020 to review the case record in Mr. Kaoma’s court before sentencing Singoyi.
Initially, Singoyi and his co-accused denied the charge before Mr. Mwale but after more than seven witnesses testified he changed his plea and admitted the charge and trial for
Man convicted in fuel theft cartel
