Man admits forging signature
Man admits forging signature 30.07.10
By Times ReporterA FORMER accounts assistant at the Copperbelt administration office in Ndola on Wednesday told the Ndola magistrates’ court that he forged the signature of former Copperbelt Cabinet Office assistant secretary, Eli Mulemwa for him and other accountants to steal Government funds.
Solomon Mwila, 35, unemployed of 19 Broads Road in Fairview, Lusaka, told chief resident magistrate, Kelvin Limbani that he forged Mr Mulemwa’s signature on several occasions on accounts vouchers used to withdraw money from the Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP) account.
This is a matter in which five former Copperbelt administration accounts officers have been charged with 21 counts of theft by public servant involving about K250 million, and two counts of money laundering.
The five are former chief accountant Innocent Hatombwe, former principal accountant John Musonda, former local government officer Peter Kapesebele, and former accounts assistants Clement Liwena and Susan N’cube.
Particulars of the offence are that the five, between May 2007 and May 2008, being public servants employed in the public service at the Copperbelt provincial accounting unit, stole about K250 million.
In 22nd count, Hatombwe is charged with money laundering and is alleged to have, between January 2008 and January 2009, engaged in illegal business transactions involving more than K200 million.
He is alleged to have used part of the money to buy a Toyota Hiace for himself.
Count 23 alleges that N’cube, between January 2007 and January last year was involved in an illegal transaction involving more than K90 million and, to disguise it, used part of the proceeds to acquire a house in Kansenshi Extension.
Mwila, who is a State witness, told the court that Hatombwe, between 2006 and 2008, gave him instructions either verbally or in writing telling him to prepare vouchers of money to be withdrawn from the PRP accounts into Hatombwe’s personal accounts, Hatombwe’s company account, Hatombwe’s business partners’ accounts abroad and accounts belonging to other accounts officers.
He said initially, a man named Anthony Kasaba, who used to operate from Ndola town centre, forged Mr Mulemwa’s signature because Mr Mulemwa was one of the signatories to the PRP account but stopped because he feared amounts were growing bigger.
Mwila said Mr Kasaba, who died last year, taught him how to forge Mr Mulemwa’s signature and he started doing it alone.
“The total amounts which I withdrew using the forged signature could amount to K3 billion,” he said.
He said in 2008, the Auditor General’s office raised queries on the PRP account and demanded from the accounts officers reasons why their names appeared on payment vouchers.
Subsequently, former Copperbelt permanent secretary Jenipher Musonda suspended and asked them to exculpate themselves.
Mwila said the suspended officers then started meeting at Hatombwe’s business premises to discuss how to handle the matter.
He said it was decided Cabinet Office should be burnt to destroy evidence.
He said the offices would either be set on fire or a witch-doctor would burn the place using black magic.
Mwila said he forged receipt books from filling stations, hardware stores and other outlets from the Copperbelt.
Trial continues.
[Times of Zambia]
