Lusaka court orders return of US$160,000 stolen from Chishimba Kambwili
The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has ordered the return of properties recovered in connection with the theft of US$160,000 belonging to former government minister Chishimba Kambwili, following the conviction and sentencing of several people linked to the case.
Lusaka, 19 September – Chief Resident Magistrate Nthandose Chabala made the order after State Prosecutor Samuel Zulu applied for the recovered properties to be restored to Kambwili, the complainant in the matter.
The court’s decision follows the conviction of eight people after the prosecution was found to have proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
In an earlier judgment, Magistrate Chabala sentenced four of the accused in the first count to three years’ imprisonment with hard labour, while four others convicted on the second count were sentenced to two years and six months’ imprisonment.
In addition, one of the accused in the second count received a further one-year prison sentence with hard labour on the third count.
Five of the convicted persons were former employees of Kambwili. They are Rodney Muntanga, 47, a houseboy; Esther Munyeka, 29, a maid; George Bwalya, 49, a driver; Millan Chembe, 35, a security guard; and Charles Kamutengo, 54, a gardener.
They were charged with theft by servant.
Also convicted in the matter were Stacey Jane Jones, 23, a student and friend of Kambwili’s daughter Chanda; David Zimba, 52, a retired police officer; Ian Kalunga, 38, a police officer; and Jacob Sinadambwe, 32, a soldier, who faced theft-related charges.
The prosecution alleged in the first count that between December 14 and December 27, 2020, in Lusaka, Jones, Zimba, Kalunga and Sinadambwe, acting jointly with others, stole US$160,000 in cash belonging to Kambwili.
In the second count, the prosecution alleged that Muntanga, Munyeka, Bwalya, Chembe and Kamutengo, who were employed by Kambwili, jointly stole the same amount during the same period.
The third count concerned Kalunga, who was alleged to have possessed property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The property included a Toyota RunX, registration number BAR 4316; a Toyota Noah, registration number AIF 4409; a Toyota Regius, registration number ADC 1009; and K10,000 in cash
When the matter came up for ruling on the recovered property, Magistrate Chabala ordered that it be returned to Kambwili.
-Nkanionline 2026 #NewsOnDemand