A WITNESS on Monday testified that former Minister of Defence George Mpombo’s bill at Luangwa House Lodge in Chipata accrued up to K960, 000 and not K10 million. Luangwa House head receptionist Patricia Mapani, 39, of Government Flats Kalongwezi in Chipata said Mpombo stayed at the lodge for two nights and accrued K960, 000, which was paid by the Zambia Army regional office.
This is in a case in which Mpombo is charged with theft by public servant contrary to section 277, which is contrary to sections 342 and 347. He is also charged with uttering a false document contrary to section 352 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Ms Mapani said money was paid by the Zambia Army regional office because they are the ones who took him to the guesthouse and took responsibility for his stay in Chipata.
“On September 23, 2010, I was visited by a police officer from headquarters and he presented to me some receipts which he wanted verified from the lodge.
“He showed me a receipt on a headed paper for Luangwa Lodge, drawn in the name of Mpombo, amount K10 million, room number 217 and stated that it was for accommodation and beverages,” Ms Mapani said.
She said the alleged forged receipt had a post box number and phone number for the lodge and another phone number which did not belong to the guesthouse. Ms Mapani said the receipt was not a government receipt because it was printed on a headed paper called Luangwa Lodge when there is only Luangwa House in Chipata.
[pullquote]In count two, Mpombo jointly and while working with other unknown persons, allegedly forged documents namely tax invoice number 6358 and receipts numbers 2846 and 4468 purporting to show that they were genuinely issued when in fact not.[/pullquote]
She said the room number on the receipt indicated that Mpombo stayed in room 217 which Luangwa House did not have because the room numbers at the guesthouse range from one to 25.
Ms Mapani said the date on the alleged receipt indicates that Mpombo stayed at the lodge on June 18, 2008 when in fact he lodged at the guesthouse on June 11, 2008. Particulars of the offence are that Mpombo jointly and while working together with other unknown persons, being a public servant as Minister of Defence, allegedly stole K18 million which came into his possession by virtue of his employment.
The offence is alleged to have been committed on unknown dates but between June and September 2008 in Lusaka. In count two, Mpombo jointly and while working with other unknown persons, allegedly forged documents namely tax invoice number 6358 and receipts numbers 2846 and 4468 purporting to show that they were genuinely issued when in fact not.
The offence is alleged to have been committed on unknown dates but between June 9 and September 12, 2008. Particulars of the third count are that Mpombo knowingly and fraudulently presented false documents including two receipts, tax invoice and retirement of special imprest forms to Minniver Mhlanga. The offence is alleged to have been committed on unknown dates but between June 9 and September 15, 2008.
Ba Mpombo kalepuka.Oh is it just bragadocio?
leave the old man alone twapapata..MMD wanted to assasinate him or take him to chimbokaila but they failed….
witch hunting……..this is just a waste of time…. just swallow pride and push in a nolle prosequi
Mpombo talks big about fighting corruption and yet privately, he’s in the forefront of practising it. He must pay the price.
I think Mpombo has a case to answer because he is the one who submitted a false receipt which had wrong figures. It could be that army officers in Chipata deliberately and knowingly organised a fake receipt which had K10m on it and chewed the balance. They used Mpombo’s name and sent documents to Lusaka.
viva ba mwisho ba Mpombo, acquittal all the way
Too early to judge. Let’s wait and see
Mpombo wibilima …….. tabaya. Fill in the blank space provided.
Yu bafoons stop brocadicio de mpombo
Ba mpombo mwilasaka mana twaliwinakale. PF
Notorious old man this Mpmbo!! What do you gain by causing trouble every day???
Are we all reading the same news report?
Don`t worry. Let the due process conclude. We miss his english nowadays.
The man talks about corruption, look what he did, these fools think they will always get away with it, PF will demostrate on you on how to deal with corrupt chaps like you.
Mpombo should have been honored 24th october for his big words and his fearlessness against govt machinery.
Guilty until proven innocent?
Mpombo has never been a clean man as long as pf will not interfear with justice
A minister of defence has body guards in addition to the PS and other aids so he does not deal with accomodation arranngements. If he was taken to the guest house by chipata officers im sure they arranged for his accomodation
Thank you, I was about to say the same. The minister just walks in and out it’s the junior officers who do the organisation. I am amazed that he is jointly charged with unknown people and not his former aids. They are the ones who keep receipts and retire the imprest. If by any chance the minister has any receipts, they request for them and then do the needful. That’s the procedure that I know. Stop time wasting, the big man is not just bragadocious but know his stuff :d.
Well, well. more comical news from PF supporters. Since Mpombo contributedd to PF election victory, the President will soon issue a Decree to stop the proceedings and appoint Ba Mpombo to Ambadorial position. Lets wait and see.
#5 Kanongesha could be right. However, the record at Luangwa House is more authentic.
Mpombo is the one who submitted these fake receipts isn’t it?
Cage the *****! Zero tolerance to corruption
Ulemu please, ulemu ku bakulu ufunika …
Arrest the chap. Chinaba chi mpombo. No acquital unless if you were a poacher, Sata would have pardoned you. Sata loves poachers