Mozambican jailed over forgery in Lusaka

A 42-year-old Mozambican resident in Lusaka has been sentenced to 34 months imprisonment with hard labour for attempting to steal US$400,000 by forging identification documents purporting that he is Mkushi-based farmer Peter Sharma.A Lusaka Magistrate’s Court jailed Santos Ndianga of Lusaka’s SOS township after finding him guilty of forging Mr Sharma’s national registration card (NRC) and falsely uttering a transfer letter to Barclays Bank Long Acres Prestige Branch for purposes of obtaining US$400,000.Principal resident magistrate Kenneth Mulife said in a judgment delivered on Tuesday that Ndianga deserved a custodial sentence to deter would-be offenders from engaging in similar offences.Ndianga was charged with five counts ranging from forgery, uttering a false document and attempting to obtain money by false pretences, contrary to the Laws of Zambia.Mr Mulife had no hesitation in finding that the prosecution had proved its allegations on all the five counts beyond any reasonable doubt.“I, therefore, find the accused person guilty and accordingly convict him as charged in all counts. I sentence the accused to 34 months on each count to run concurrently. This means he will only serve two years and 10 months,” he said.The magistrate said offences of forgery and uttering false documents are becoming very common and rampant, and needed deterrent punishment.Mr Mulife said it is clear from the evidence that Ndianga forged Mr Sharma’s NRC number 924651/11/2 and a transfer letter which he presented to Barclays Bank.He was satisfied that Ndianga made the transfer letter because he signed on it, as Mr Sharma, in the presence of Barclays Bank employee Shabdin Mweemba, who is based at Long Acres Prestige branch.Mr Mulife said it is clear from the evidence that Ndianga was aware of the falsity of both the NRC and transfer letter because of the lies he presented to Mr Mweemba to suit the description of Mr Sharma.“He even gave the residential address of Mkushi and occupation of the farmer which clearly relate to Mr Sharma and not to him. It is these lies which clearly show that Ndianga participated in the making of the two false documents,” he said.Mr Mulife refused to accept Ndianga’s mitigation that he has suffered harsh conditions during his period in custody and that he was a first offender as well as a breadwinner.He said Ndianga should have thought about the consequences of engaging in such offences.