Zindaba, two others plead not guilty to forgery

By LUCY PHIRI

FORMER Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) Chief Executive Officer, Zindaba Soko, and two others have pleaded not guilty to forgery and uttering of false documents contrary to the laws of Zambia.

Soko, 45, is jointly charged with Kelvin Smith Kisambara and a 24 year old student, Ibrahim Mbongo of Libala with forgery contrary to section 347 and 342 of the Penal Code Chapter 87, uttering false documents contrary to section 352 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 and found in possession of property believed to have stolen or unlawfully obtained contrary to section 319 (a) of the Penal Code Chapter 87 contrary to the laws of Zambia.

When the matter came up yesterday, Friday, for plea, Magistrate Irene Wishimanga read the charges to the accused persons and all denied.

Later, Soko’s co accused attempted to apply for bail pending the determination of the matter but the court said it was premature because the second accused person was a convict and his sentence was coming to an end in nine days’ time.

Magistrate Wishimanga also said that the reason was that the accused needs to show evidence before court that he was not serving a sentence in the other case.

It is alleged in the first count that Kisambara, Mbongo and Soko on unknown dates but between January 1, 2023 and July 17, 2023 in Lusaka, jointly and whilst acting together, with intent to defraud or deceive, did forge national registration card number 255428/10/1 in the names of John Tembo purporting to show that it was genuinely issued by Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship in Lusaka when in fact not.

In the second count, it is alleged that, Kisambara on July 6 2023 in Lusaka knowingly and fraudulently uttered a false document, namely a national registration card number 22554328/10/1 in the names of Tembo to Catherine Chibwe a banker at FNB Bank, Chilenje Lusaka.

Details in the last count, it is alleged that Kisambara and Mbongo on dates unknown but between January 1, 2023 in Lusaka jointly and whilst acting together, had in their possession 6 point of sale machines property reasonably suspected or believed to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained.

The court has since adjourned the matter to November 27,2023.