Amos jailed 12 months with hard labor
Former Presidential press aid, Amos Chanda has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labor for stealing courts records.
Lusaka Magistrate, Irene Wishimanga has also fined him K5,000 for destroying the said evidence in default to three months in prison.
In this matter, Chanda pleaded not guilty to one count of theft Contrary to Section 272 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia and one count of destroying evidence Contrary to Section 111 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Chanda on September 30,2022 was heard having a conversation with Intelligent Mobility Solutions board chairman Walid El Nahas and former Road Transport and Safety Agency ( RTSA) Chief Executive Officer ( CEO), Zindaba Soko that he got the court record containing proceedings relating to a case where nolle prosequi was entered in their favour and destroyed it by burning it.
In count one, on dates unknown, but between May 12, 2020 and October 1, 2022, Chanda together with others unknown did steal a case record number CRMP/001/2020, the property of the government of Zambia.
In count two, Chanda between May 12, 2020 and October,1 2022 , acting together with other persons unknown at Lusaka knowing that the case record CRMP/001/2020 is or may be required in evidence in a judicial proceeding, willfully did destroy it with intent, thereby to prevent it from being used in evidence.
They should have just recovered some of the documents and set him free as per tradition
You have cracked my ribs!
The problem with Chanda is that he didn’t do like others, he didn’t surrender even a burnt page number
There is something wrong with the laws of this land. If the judiciary has applied itself correctly, then the politician who write-up law have crafted lean penalties for themselves being the politically connected and financially well standing persons.
There is something wrong with the laws of this land.
If the judiciary has applied itself correctly, then the politicians who write-up law have well crafted into law lean penalties for themselves, the politically connected and financially well standing persons.
Does current technology recover BURNT documents, Zambia sell the technology to the world
This seems leient given the gravity of the crime that the said documents involve. Amos and the motive was evade the crime. We need to amend our laws to suit the gravity of the crime
He has got off lightly. It’s a pat on back really.
He will appeal and go scotfree.
Jails are not for rich.
They is a common tendance where when one is convicted and arrested, they will say it’s political. But who do they want to call a thief when they were the ones in custody of the said stolen items?
I thief will always remain a thief even if he justifies him/herself.
Even if the case record is missing they can restart the case. All the witnesses are still there.
Is this the same case were he’s charged with his wife and sister in-law?
I you are referring to another case in which Mr. Chanda together with his wife and another person are charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer.
It is disheartening to observe that the application of the rule of law in Zambia is softer on the elite and people with political connections. There is inequality in the application of the law between the poor and the rich people. When poor people are found guilty of stealing petty things like a chicken, soap, old shoes, pair of trousers, a loaf of bread or a bottle of cooking oil (750ml) they sentenced two years to five years with hard labour. On the hand, professional white collar thieves and law breaks are given lesser court sentences.
The rich people are able to hire Lawyers who usually assist them to prolong court hearings of their cases by entering into unnecessary court adjournments of their cases and eventually they are either acquitted or enter into consent judgment where signs seizure agreements with criminals. Eventually, criminals escape jail and yet the poor remain in prisons languishing.