I trusted Kelvin Sampa with my $80,000 because he told me he is President  Hichilema’s right hand man – Japanese businessman tells  Court

A JAPANESE businessman has told the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court how he entrusted former Kasama Central lawmaker Kelvin Sampa with US$80,000 meant to buy gold because he was convinced the man was trust worthy.

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Satoshi Sakamoto said Mr Sampa earlier told him that he was close to the Government and was actually President Hakainde Hichilema’s right hand man.

Mr Sakamoto,62,  said Mr Sampa allegedly swindled him out of US$80,000 in a failed gold deal.

He said he had initially given the money to Mr Sampa after the politician told him that it was unsafe to keep the money in an apartment, in Lusaka.

Mr Sakamoto said Sampa had told him that gold sellers knew that he had US$80,000 dollars in his apartment and that they could attack him.

“Mr Sampa advised me that those sellers could be dangerous… ‘they can come and attack you and steal the money’ and it is therefore safer that Mr Sampa keeps the money.

“I thought what Mr Sampa said it was true and I took Mr Sampa’s advice which I thought was kindness at the time. I then handed over US$80,000 cash to Mr Sampa,” the Mr Sakamoto said.

This is in a case  Mr Sampa is charged with four counts of theft by agent and possession of paper or implements for forgery.

Allegation are that between July 27 and September 30, 2024, he was entrusted with US$70,000 cash by Kunihiro Fugishima to buy gold on his behalf but he allegedly stole the money.

It is further alleged that between August 1 and September 30, 2024, Mr Sakamoto entrusted Sampa with US$80,000 to purchase gold but the accused stole the money.

He is also accused of being in his possession 110 pieces of forged US$100 bank notes.

During trial yesterday, Mr Sakamoto, who has a mining farm in Tanzania, said in June 2024, he was in contact with his friend Mr Fugushima, Japanese born Tanzanian.

He said Mr Fugishima told him that there was a gold purchase opportunity in Zambia where Mr Sampa was the link as he would facilitate the legal documents to help export the mineral to Tanzania.

In August 2024, Mr Sakamoto flew into Tanzania and met Mr Fugishima to make arrangements for gold purchase before the duo proceed to Zambia and lodged at Fallsway apartments.

“Mr Sampa visited us and I met him for the first time. The same day, the seller brought four gold bars arranged by Mr Sampa”.

He said the gold bars were burned using a burner and gas cylinder before being confirmed to be pure gold.

“They brought very sophisticated analyser for checking the purity of each bar after it is melted. Since it was just a demonstration, the actual transaction was to be conducted the following day”.

Mr Sakamoto said earlier after discussing the purchase price, the sellers said the US$80,000 he had was not enough to conduct the minimum transaction for five kilogrammes of gold and Mr Sampa would source for extra funds.

The witness said he held on to the US$80,000 meant for gold purchase.

Mr Sakamoto said after the gold sellers left the apartment, Mr Sampa told him that it was not safe to keep the US$80,000 in the apartment and he handed over the money to the accused.

The court heard that Mr Sampa later became elusive when queried for an update over the gold deal.

“Mr Sampa never picked up my phone. He said he would come with the seller but nothing happened”.

Mr Sakamoto said he had so much trust in Sampa because the accused told him he was well connected with the Government.

“I trusted Mr  Sampa because of Kunihiro, I trusted him and he said he knew Mr Sampa for the last 30 years and had done many deals with him and that he was a former Member of Parliament and very influential in politics and the right hand man of the President of this country, Hakainde Hichilema”.

(Mwebantu, Wednesday, 5th February, 2025)