Maravi

Be prepared for my comeback – Mpombo

Be prepared for my comeback – Mpombo
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Tue 10 Aug. 2010, 04:00 CAT

George Mpombo going to court after disembarking from the prisons service truck yesterday at Ndola's magistrate court. FORMER defence minister George Mpombo yesterday declared that his spirit is not broken and he will come back from prison with a bang.

In an interview through a court cell window after he was sentenced to 60 days simple imprisonment and fined K4 million for bouncing a cheque, Mpombo said small things like what was happening to him would not tear him apart.

“The magistrate grossly misdirected himself by relying on Findlay. Why swear under oath if you know that you are not going to live by the law?” he said. “If Findlay has a conscience, he would not have lied the way he did. Anyone who has a soul cannot do that.”

Mpombo said that his spirit was not broken, he would not chicken out and that everyone should be prepared for his comeback because he would be returning with a bang.

He, however, said that he stayed well in prison from Friday and that inmates warmly welcomed him.

“I received a thunderous welcome by my friends. I didn’t do anything while I was there because everyone was doing everything for me, and I am grateful to them. But prison is a pathetic place and the human rights should do something about it,” Mpombo said.

“That place is congested and people sleep like sardines. The human rights should do something about it.”

Mpombo also charged that people like information minister Ronnie Shikapawasa were eligible candidates for prison because he allegedly stole money in Tanzania.

“As for this dimwit Mike Mulongoti, I am reserving my words for him. I will answer him later,” he said.

Mpombo said he was disappointed that Ndola magistrate Kelvin Limbani based his judgment against him on the basis of Ian Findlay’s concoctions. And Mpombo indicated that he would appeal against his conviction and sentence.

Magistrate Limbani yesterday sentenced Mpombo to 60 days simple imprisonment on one count of issuing a cheque on an insufficiently funded account. Mpombo was also fined K4 million. Last Friday, magistrate Limbani convicted Mpombo but reserved sentencing to yesterday.

In this case, Mpombo was charged with an offence of a dishonoured cheque, contrary to section 33 (1) of the national payment systems Act as read with the Bank of Zambia Act.

Particulars of the offence were that Mpombo on December 18, 2009 with intent to defraud, issued cheque number 00014 worth K10 million to Colwyn Limited of Ndola on an insufficiently funded account, a Standard Chartered Bank account number 0100260696200, which rendered the cheque dishonoured.

Passing sentence, magistrate Limbani said Mpombo’s action deserved punishment so that he could reform and that others would be deterred from committing a similar offence. He said he had considered what was said in mitigation and that Mpombo was a first offender who deserved lenience.

“Cases of financial issues have serious implications. Section 33 (1) of the national payments Act is meant to safeguard the economy, and your actions had negative effect on the complainant,” magistrate Limbani said.

“I shall be lenient with you and fine you K4 million and sentence you to 60 days imprisonment with simple labour,” he said.

As Mpombo emerged from the courtroom, his wife and children hugged him while shedding tears but he comforted them, saying everything was going to be well.

Mpombo's K10 million debt to former MMD Copperbelt Province chairman Terence Findlay turned sour when he was reported to the police for allegedly bouncing a cheque in the same amount.

Confirming the incident to the Zambia Daily Mail, police spokesperson Bonny Kapeso said they opened a docket after Findlay presented his case.

However, the docket was closed after Findlay withdrew the case. This was after Mpombo paid the K10 million in cash.

Kapeso was also quoted by ZNBC as saying that Mpombo, through his personnel manager, paid the K10 million cash to Findlay, who subsequently instructed the police to close the docket.

But well-placed sources in government revealed that Findlay was put under pressure by State House to report the matter of the bounced cheque to the police as a way of criminalising Mpombo and therefore silence him.

"...The President was very excited when he heard this because he saw an opportunity to fix Mr Mpombo as a way of silencing him," the source disclosed.
Mpombo has been one of President Banda’s ardent critics.

Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO

posted by MrK @ 5:40 PM