- Man allegedly lured girl into Zambia for sexual exploitation
GRACE CHAILE
Lusaka
A MALAWIAN man accused of trafficking a teenager from his country to Zambia for sexual exploitation has been found with a case to answer and placed on his defence by Lusaka Magistrates Court.
Meanwhile, the court has sentenced 21-year-old Sarah Mwangala, of Lusaka’s Chilenje Township, who is pregnant, to three months’ simple imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to obtaining pecuniary advantage by false pretences involving K17,000.
In the case of child trafficking, Paul Phiri, 35, allegedly lured the 17-year-old girl through Facebook conversations and false promises of employment before allegedly impregnating her after bringing her to Zambia.
Principal magistrate Idah Phiri yesterday ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the accused.
In response, Phiri told the court that he would give sworn testimony in his defence when the matter resumes on May 26, 2026.
During trial, Kanyama Police Victim Support Unit coordinator inspector Trudy Nampasa testified that the teenager became acquainted with Phiri through Facebook in 2024 after he allegedly informed her that his boss in Zambia was looking for a maid.
The court heard that transport was arranged for the girl to travel to Zambia in August 2024, where she was received by Phiri and taken to live with him in Kanyama Township.
However, upon arrival, the promised employment never materialised.
Instead, Phiri allegedly started sexually abusing the teenager and later informed her that he only wanted her to come to Zambia so that she could become his wife.
According to evidence, the victim wanted to return to Malawi but the accused blocked her.
Phiri also allegedly threatened to expose her to immigration authorities because she had no legal documents permitting her stay in Zambia.
The incident resulted in the birth of a child, with DNA tests confirming that the accused was the father.
In the other case, the court heard that on September 3, 2025, Mwangala requested K17,000 from Airtel Money agent Oscar Kanyanga, claiming that it was needed to normalise her daily float and promising to repay the same day.
Relying on her assurance, Kanyanga transferred the money to her mobile account.
When repayment was later demanded, she claimed that the transaction had failed but did not provide proof.
She later switched off her phone and could not be reached, prompting the complainant to look for her home, where she failed to give a clear explanation.
Investigations established that the funds had been diverted into a pyramid scheme.
In mitigation, Mwangala apologised to the court, saying she did not know that the scheme she invested the money in was a scam… https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/welcome/home
