The Kabwe Magistrate’s court has jailed a-32-year-old man of Chimanimani compound to two years with hard labour and fined him a sum of K5000 for forgery and altering of a false document.
Principal Resident Magistrate Mubita Kalaluka sentenced Patrick John Bwalya, a Kabwe Municipal Council Police upon convicting him of forgery as well as altering a false document contrary to section 342 and 347 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.
However, Magistrate Kalaluka suspended the 2-year jail sentence, provided Bwalya does not commit a similar offence within a period of two years.
The court has also given Bwalya up to February 27, 2026 in which to pay the fine of K5,000 in default to serve a custodial jail sentence of 18 months.
Magistrate Kalaluka cautioned Bwalya that he was still a youthful person who had room to reform and the court had given him a chance to reflect on his actions to become a better citizen.
During mitigation, Bwalya said he was a sole provider of his aging mother.
The court observed that Bwalya was a first-time offender who deserved maximum leniency, especially that throughout the court proceeding he had shown that he was remorseful of his actions.
Bwalya between October and November, 2023 in Kabwe District, with intent to defraud or deceive, did forge a Kabwe Municipal Council receipt no. 03081206 purporting to show that it was genuine when in fact not.
In Count two, Bwalya was charged with altering a false document with intent to defraud or deceive did alter a false document namely, a Kabwe Municipal Council Receipt No. 03081206 to Lyabwa Kalema purporting to show that it was genuine when in fact not.
Magistrate Kalaluka has since given Bwalya 14 days in which to appeal for his sentence if he is not pleased with the verdict.
It is not “altering of a false document” but ” altering of a document.” Also why don’t you explain how and what for was the receipt he forged?