Provincial Health Office driver gets 18 months for corruption
The Kasama Subordinate Court has convicted and sentenced Timothy Gondwe a Driver at Provincial Health Office in Northern Province to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour for corrupt practices.
In passing judgement, Principal Resident Magistrate Vincent Siloka found Timothy Gondwe, 30, of Winberg Compound in Kasama guilty on three counts.
Gondwe was later sentenced to three months in each of the two counts and in the other count of forgery, he was sentenced to 18 months with hard labour.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Siloka acquitted Gondwe in the other count where he was jointly charged with James Makasa a former Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) Officer for an offence of Forgery. Additionally, the count in which James Makasa, 47, of Plot no. 440 Mukulumpe Residential Area in Kasama was charged separately, fail off as he died during trial.
The Anti-Corruption Commission in 2015 charged and arrested James Makasa and Timothy Gondwe with five charges of corruption.
The two were jointly charged with one count of forgery contrary to section 342 and 347 of Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia. Particulars of the offence are that on dates unknown but between 27th July 2011 and 7th January 2012 at Kasama district of Northern Province, Makasa whilst working as Assistant RTSA Officer and Gondwe jointly and while acting together, with intent to defraud or deceive did forge a Pass Certificate no. 0033997 in the names of Lazarous Bwale purporting to show that it was genuinely authorized and issued to Timothy Gondwe when in fact not.
Gondwe on the other hand was separately charged with three counts. In count one he was charged with giving false information contrary to section 125, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia. Particulars of the offence are that Gondwe on dates unknown but between 27th July 2011 and 31st September 2011 at Kasama of the Northern Province knowingly did give false information to a Public Officer namely Inspector Clarence Mphande of Zambia Police Service to the effect that he/Gondwe had lost his driving licence thereby causing the said Inspector Clarence Mphande to act on false information to issue a Police Report.
In count two he was charged with Forgery contrary to section 342 and 347 of Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia. Particulars of the offence are that Gondwe on dates unknown but between 27th July 2011 and 7th January 2012 at Kasama district of the Northern Province, with intent to defraud or deceive did forge a Zambia Police Report that was issued by inspector Clarence Mphande by introducing wherein the words “and n.r.c” without authority.
And in count three he was charged with Uttering a false document contrary to section 352 and 347 of Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia. Particulars of the offence are that Gondwe on dates unknown but between 27th July 2011 and 7th January 2012 at Kasama district of the Northern Province, he/Gondwe knowingly and fraudulently did utter a false documents namely Police Report and a Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) Pass Certificate no. 0033997 to Emmanuel Mwambazi, a Human Resource Management Officer at Ministry of Health – Kasama General Hospital.
James Makasa was also separately charged with one count of forgery contrary to section 342 and 347 of Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia. Particulars of the offence are that on or about 11th January 2012 at Kasama district of the Northern Province, Makasa whilst working as Assistant RTSA Officer jointly and whilst acting together with others unknown, with intent to defraud or deceive did forge a Pass Certificate no. 0033605 in the name of James Simbeye purporting to show that it was genuinely authorized and issued to Martin Mbuta when in fact not.
Magistrate Siloka in passing judgement said Gondwe’s sentence for all the three counts are to run concurrently.