Lusaka Magistrate has today convicted a Lusaka resident for impersonating a Zambia Revenue Authority Officer and jailed him to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour.
Justice Arida Chulu today jailed Owen Sinyamuki 31, of 1094 Kuomboka-Chawama Compound in Lusaka on two counts of obtaining money by false pretences and one count of impersonating a public officer.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) arrested Sinyamuki on June 4, 2008 for allegedly impersonating a Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) officer and subsequently obtaining money by false pretences.
In the first count, Sinyamuki was arrested and charged with the offence of impersonating a public officer contrary to section 102(b) of the penal Code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.
It was alleged that on June, 3, 2008 in Lusaka, Sinyamuki did falsely present himself to be a person employed in the public service namely a Zambia Revenue Authority Officer, Deputy Direct Taxes Inspector.
In the second count, Sinyamuki was arrested and charged with the offence of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to section 309 of the penal, code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.
It was alleged that on June 3, 2008, with intent to defraud, Sinyamuki did obtain K350,000 money in cash from Muhammed Kayabwe by falsely pretending that he was a ZRA officer , when in fact not.
He is alleged to have impersonated himself as ZRA Deputy Direct Tax Inspector and solicited for five million Kwacha as inducement or reward for himself to waiver any tax obligations that Muhammed Kayabwe had with the ZRA.
In the third count Sinyamuki was arrested and charged with the offence of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to section 309 of the penal code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.
It was alleged that between May 1 and June 12, 2008 , in Lusaka with intent to defraud Sinyamuki did obtain K200, 000 money in cash from Sarah Nain by falsely pretending that he was a ZRA officer when in fact not.
He is alleged to have impersonated himself as ZRA Deputy direct Tax Inspector and solicited for K500, 000 to assist repair his car which had broken down on his way to inspect the business for Nain.
Magistrate Chulu jailed Sinyamuki fro six months with hard labour on each count and the sentence will run consecutively. This means that Sinyamuki will serve 18 months in prison with effect from 10th December, 2009.
ZANIS
ZRA better start cautioning the people to watch out for impersonators and find measures to verify identity of real employees so that the decievers dont stand a chance.
# 1 you are right, imagine a situation were there is already more than a hundred ZRA impersonators.