PRISCILLA CHIPULU, Ndola
A FOOD Reserve Agency (FRA) accountant has been sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour for stealing about K500,000. Desire Ngoma, 40, was charged with theft by public servant, an offence he pleaded guilty to. When the case came up last week before Economic and Financial Crimes Court magistrate Kaunda Sakwanda, it was heard that on unknown dates, but between January 1 and June 2020, in Ndola, Ngoma stole K491,375.83, belonging to FRA, which came into his possession by virtue of his employment. According to facts presented in court by senior public prosecutor Ernest Shupa, Ngoma was engaged by the agency on August 27, 2012, and was appointed assistant accountant for the Copperbelt region. Mr Shupa told the court that in January 2020, FRA released money for the purchase of crops in Chililabombwe, Kitwe and Masaiti. He said the agency further sent money for fumigation of crops in June 2020. However, the agency later received information that Copperbelt regional satellite depot clerks were protesting for non-payment of salary arrears. Mr Shupa further told the court that the agency management were dismayed at the protest as all outstanding arrears were CLICK TO READ MORE