LUSAKA MAN GETS 3 YEARS FOR STEALING CABLES
By LUCY PHIRI
A LUSAKA Man has been sentenced to three years imprisonment for stealing electrical cables, a pliers, locking box and roofing sheets altogether valued at K35, 000 from the house under construction in Kabangwe area without lawful authority.
Appearing in the Lusaka magistrate court before magistrate Albert Mwaba was Zimon Mulenga accused of theft of properties belonging to George Nonde.
Nonde complained that he received a call from his caretaker who helps in the keeping of the house safe that he found two people stealing electrical cables and managed to catch one.
The caretaker narrated to the police that, on the material day as he was working at the construction site when he decided to take a break and went to refresh himself at the nearby market to buy some food stuffs and on his way back he found two people stealing electric cables and he managed to catch one and took him to the police.
Police visited the scene under construction and confirmed that indeed the electrical cables were pushed and removed from the uncompleted building.
In defence, Mulenga denied the charge saying he did not steal any cables as he was on his way to work when a certain person stopped and asked where his friend was.
‘’ I then told him that I was alone going for work and wondering why they were interrogating me by asking me questions I did not understand and later took me to the police where I was beaten and put in custody,’’ he said.
In mitigation, Mulenga asked court to forgive him saying jail is not a nice place, he might get sick and die.
The Court heard his mitigation but observed that it wasn’t convincing enough and that he needs to learn his lesson as other people would also learn from him. The Court sentenced him to three years imprisonment with hard labour
