By OLIVER SAMBOKO
KIDNAPPED mobile money agent, Pamela Chisumpa is still alive and communicated with police and her family last week, Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu told parliament yesterday.
He said four people are appearing in the courts of law in the Pamela related cases including theft of her phone.
Mr Mwiimbu said the police are still investigating the matter and that the nation will be kept informed on the progress.
He said the Police have put in place all resources and are working with other cooperating partners to ensure the safety of mobile money agents.
And delivering a ministerial response to the matter of urgent public importance raised by Member of Parliament for Kantanshi Anthony Mumba on the measures being taken to protect mobile money agents from abduction, Mr Mwiimbu noted isolated cases of attacks by criminals allegedly targeting persons operating in the mobile service subsector.
Mr Mwiimbu explained that 22-year-old Pamela was initially reported to have gone missing by her sister on April 16, 2022, who stated that on April 13, 2022 at about 14:00 hours at Shoprite trading area along Cairo Road, the victim was at her mobile money booth when two men went to her stall and pretended to be customers wanting to transact money.
He said since the first case of suspected abduction was reported on April 16, 2022, Zambia Police Service has so far recorded six reports of suspected abduction in the country.
He disclosed that after investigations, four of the reports were identified as false alarms.
Mr Mwiimbu said eight suspects were arrested and upon investigations, four of the suspects were released as there was no connection to the alleged crime.
He also said it’s unfortunate that some unscrupulous people have taken advantage of the reported incidents of attacks allegedly targeted at mobile money operators by faking their own abductions.
He said the government working with other stakeholders is sensitising mobile money operators on timely closure of their businesses, security alertness and enhanced intelligence information gathering.
Mr Mwiimbu said the new dawn administration is anchored on law and order to foster socio-economic development because of the realisation that crime has devastating consequences on the country.
Ends.
