A 16-YEAR-OLD Grade 12 pupil of Chiwala Secondary School in Masaiti, yesterday told the Ndola Magistrate’s Court that People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president George Mpombo’s 17-year-old son allegedly asked him to dispose of a pistol, which was hidden in his trunk at school.
The boy testified before Ndola principal resident magistrate Obbister Musukwa that Mpombo’s son, who is his schoolmate, allegedly asked him to throw away the gun while they were being questioned at Ndola Central Police Station where they had been summoned for questioning over a missing girl.
Mpombo, 61, a farmer in Senior Chief Chiwala’s area in Masaiti, is charged with one count of failing to secure a firearm contrary to the Firearms Act.
It is alleged that Mpombo (left), on unknown dates but between December 1 last year and January 19 this year in Masaiti, failed to secure his Norinco 9.9 millimetre pistol serial No. 202329.
The juvenile told Mr Musukwa when the matter came up for commencement of trial that he was summoned to the police station along with Mpombo’s son because he is his friend.
He told the court that after leaving Ndola Police Station, Mr Mpombo drove to school in his vehicle and when he was about to be dropped off at the school, he decided to get the gun from the trunk and surrendered it to Mpombo instead of throwing it.
“It was on January 18 this year, when we were summoned to Ndola Central Police Station in connection with the missing lover of Mpombo’s son. After the questioning at the police station, the officer-in-charge told the officers to detain Mpombo’s son and since we were seated on the same bench, he whispered to me saying I should go and throw the gun which was in one of the trunks in our dormitory, but I surrendered it to his father together with his other belongings since he had been expelled from school,” the teenager said.
Asked whether he knew his friend’s lover, the teenager said he did not know her because she was saved as ‘bitchest’ in his phone.
And when further asked if he could identify the gun if he saw it, he said he would.
“I am not conversant with guns but I watch movies and what I saw looked like a pistol to me,” he said.
And superintendent Joseph Ng’uni, 47, a forensic examiner at Ndola Central Police Station, told Mr Musukwa that he examined the firearm and that his findings were that it was a commercial lethal weapon which must only be possessed and lawfully used by a holder of a valid licence or permit in Zambia.
“What this means is that the firearm must not land in the wrong hands, lest it may be used by criminal elements to commit crimes. And after issuing the firearm to the right owner, he ought to secure it all the time under lock and key as it may cause danger to life,” Mr Ng’uni said.
The firearm with three rounds of ammunition was submitted as evidence.
And Mr Evaristo Mwamba, an investigations officer, told the court that the lock of Mpombo’s wardrobe where he keeps the firearm was tampered with.
Mr Mwamba told Mr Musukwa that Mpombo had allegedly failed to secure the firearm as the wardrobe was not a safe place to safeguard the firearm as it was meant for the storage of clothes.
Mpombo is being represented by Chimuka Magubbwi of Magubbwi and Associates of Ndola.
Mr Musukwa adjourned the case to March 17, this year for ruling.
And in another court, Mpombo’s son appeared for mention where magistrate Moffat Phiri was informed that the court is waiting for instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The juvenile is alleged to have shot dead his 17-year-old lover, Ruth Phiri, and beheaded her after she informed him that she was pregnant for him.
The juvenile is remanded in custody.
very convulated
As a former minister of defense, this moron should have known better the meaning of securing a firearm. Cage him again. He’s a non-repentant criminal!
..so you must have an armoury in the house if you own such a weapon…???…lockable wardrobe or chest of drawer is good enough….infact the fact that the wadrobe lock was was tempered with exonarates Mpombo….
Please be reasonable, wardrobes are meant for keeping clothes not firearms. There are safes cases specifically for storing firearms and if he Mpombo can afford to buy a firearm, surely he must be able to buy such a safe case for his weapon. Let us use use things for their intended purpose then we will be okay!
You can not punish the father for the son’s bad behavior. Hope Mpombo Snr walks.
Look guys, this boy did not use the gun to cut off his late lover’s head. Meaning the boy could have used other ways to eliminate the girl. Knives are placed openly in kitchens and yet they have been used for sinister purposes now and again. I have in mind the latest happening in Livingstone where the wife sent her husband to Heaven/ hell using a knife. Keeping a gun in the bed room and for that matter in the ward rob is safe enough. Do not just castigate for the sake of it and even crown it up with insults, its not good. Leave Mpombo alone!
Do not comment on things you do not know about, the boy shot the girl first and removed the head afterwards.
am not a journalist but the writer in this article is pathetic. no simplicity, confusing identities, total rubbish
I didn’t know there were rules of what can be stored in a locked wardrobe… Is it ok if I store condoms with my clothes???
So there are rules of what can be stored in a locked wardrobe? Gosh! is it ok if I store my condoms with my clothes??? I suppose condoms could be considered a form of clothing… Lol. Clothing for self-defence??? Sort of like a gun? Protects you from being harmed… Guess I need an armory for my condoms as well!
ok norinco actually made a 9.9 mm ,man it sure must have lethal damage ,9.9 mm diameter is big,because even the bullets must be lethal and bigger,when you fire it must have a big flash,most pistols are 9mm, this pistol is military.I know Norinco is a Chinese company that was once in trouble with Bush over export of firearms to Iran,but how did Mpombo come in possession of a military grade pistol or unless in he didn’t submit it like the imprest when he was DF minister.Rip Ruth you died like you were killed in Syria
I believe he will only be fined not a jail sentence again.
The wardrobe lock was tempered with,meaning it was locked. Leave the president alone.
Mr. George Tuvi-Mpombo, you thought being armed is a an indication of defence in the process your son became an attacker, uzaiona boma.
A norinco which is 9.9mm,need to google or the journalist misquoted the investigator.Have not seen one norinco made that big,I will google and get back.My pistol is more lethal than that.
Too bad my friend mpombo, learn how to handle guns.
They say children are a blessing…in this case this one is a curse. Mpombo has even run out of his bombastic words sure, mauless!!
A man who uses a sword to kill another, that same sword will be used on him.
Poor young fellow who completely failed to reason. Impregnating a girl is not the end of the world. There was love at first and that love has produced results. He should have been proud by now because he had nothing to loose. The rich Father should have payed off the money to cover their wrong doing and he should have continued living happily. But now Shame, behind bars meanwhile the dead is resting and at peace. The waste is when he will be remembering those days they were making honey moon love. They will never be back.
I pity the young boy. He should have first seek for advice instead of taking a swift action which has landed him to a tight corner where there is no peace at all.