By RABECCA BANDA
A GARDEN boy of Lusaka will spend two years in jail for stealing property worth K4, 533.
Appearing at the Lusaka magistrate’s court before Ms Martha Miti, Raphael Sakala was found guilty of stealing 26 brick force wires and 30 iron bars, property of Mr Shadreck Lungu.
Magistrate: Where you employed by Mr. Lungu as a garden boy?
Sakala: Yes.
Magistrate: Did you get the items?
Sakala: Yes.
Magistrate: How did you get the items?
Sakala: It was in the afternoon and the contractor opened the containers containing the items and we got the items.
Magistrate: How did you move the items?
Sakala: The contractor called a man who came with a van and we moved the items.
Magistrate: What did you want to do with the items?
Sakala: My employer did not pay me for two months. I wanted to sell the items.
Sakala pleaded for mercy from the court saying that his family with suffer if he is jailed.
He said Mr Lungu was like a father to him and what he did was wrong.
Magistrate: Where do you want to go?
Sakala: I want to go home if the court allows.
Magistrate: Why do you want to go home when you committed an offence?
Sakala: I want to take care of my family.
Magistrate: Did Mr. Lungu not help by employing you?
Sakala: He helped me.
Magistrate Miti said Sakala was selfish and wanted to deprive the complainant of his property.
She said Sakala was to blame for his situation because he decided by himself to steal.
Ms Miti said the offence Sakala committed was serious and deserved to be punished. She sentenced him to two years imprisonment with hard labour.
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