Wed, 30 Nov 2016 09:58:28 +0000
FREELANCE journalist Chanda Chiimba 111 has been convicted and jailed to two years with hard labour and fined K1,000 on two other counts, in default by the Lusaka Magistrates Court.
Chiimba III was sent to prison by Ndola Magistrate Obster Musukwa after being found guilty of unlawful publication and printing of two tabloids, News of Our Times and Stand-up Zambia.
He was also convicted for the disposal of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
In his mitigation, through his lawyer Charles Lisita, Chimba III asked the court to exercise maximum leniency on him on grounds that he was a first offender who is remorseful for his involvement in the scandal.
Chimba in his mitigation asked the court to take into consideration that he was a family man, married with five children two of which were in university and three in primary school and the youngest aged six.
He further told the court that he had added responsibilities of providing and caring for his old mother, adding that he was the family’s breadwinner.
Chimba told the court that he had a serious condition of prostate cancer which was in stage four, adding that he was scheduled to visit the Cancer Hospital two to three times a month. But his medical condition could not save him from being sent to prison because he failed to show proof to court of his condition.
Magistrate Musukwa stated that in the absence of documentation to prove his condition there was nothing that the court could do but send the journalist to prison for two years with hard labour.
In the same matter, Magistrate Musukwa on Monday acquitted former Information and Broadcasting minister Ronnie Shikapwasha and his former permanent secretary Dr Sam Phiri on abuse of authority of office.
