Ultimate vehicles theft case in court

NEARLY three months after another arrest, three Marshland Consortium Limited directors have been indicted for alleged theft of two motor vehicles worth US$81, 000 belonging to Ultimate Insurance Company Limited.

The accused persons are Nachi Musonda, 35, Richard Lubemba Chishimba, 31, and Tobias Milambo Hanyimbo, 48, all insurers.

In count one particulars of offence are that Musonda and Milambo on July 10, last year stole a grey Ford Ranger registration number BAF 9826 valued at US40, 500.

In the second count, details are that Lubemba and Milambo on the same date in Lusaka stole another Ford Ranger white in colour registration number BAG 8100 valued at US$40, 500.

The case was called yesterday before Lusaka Magistrate Jenipher Bwalya for allocation but all the three accused persons were not before court.

Ms Bwalya then allocated the matter to another magistrate Nthandose Chabala before whom they were scheduled to take plea but did not show up by press time.

The three were arrested in February this year and police spokesperson Esther Katongo said ownership of the vehicle registration number BAF 9826 was illegally changed to the first accused person.

This was after the State had already slapped 15 counts of forgery, uttering false documents, and obtaining money by false pretences on the three last year and trial in this case has already started before Magistrate Alice Walusiku.

It is alleged that between January 1, 2018, and March 25, 2020 Milambo, Lubemba, and Musonda forged a Bitrust Real Estate Innovative Solution valuation report dated January 6, 2018 for stand number 9192/35 Mununga Road in Ndola by purporting to show that it was genuinely issued, signed and authorised when in fact not.