Police hand over a thousand bags of confiscated fertilizer

Police in Kafue have handed over 1000 bags of impounded fertilizer to the ministry of Agriculture (MACO ) in the district which was diverted from Chongwe.

District senior Agriculture Officer ( SAO ) Kapwepwe Nthele confirmed the development in an interview in Kafue.

Mr. Nthele said who received the fertilizer on behalf of the ministry said this was after the ministry requested that the commodity be released so that famers in the area can use it.

“ The ministry have decided to give the fertilizer to famers in Kafue instead of taking it back to Chongwe so that the fertilizer which is meant for Kafue but still in Lusaka can be sent over to Chongwe, ‘ he said.

He disclosed that out of the 1000 X 50kg bags of urea fertilizer which were impounded by police,61 bags have been declared damaged and will be taken back to a named fertilizer making company for a replacement.

But the named company’s management says that it was not its responsibility to replace the damaged fertilizer since it was not the contractor who engaged a named transporting company to ferry the fertilizer to Chongwe.

And Kafue magistrate Court Clerk, Erick Munango who witnessed the hand over of the bags of fertilizer said police officers handling the case have applied to the court for the fertilizer to be handed back as per procedure.

Mr. Munango said they gave police officers a leeway to dispose-off the fertilizer because it was a perishable product.

About two weeks ago, alert police officers and Kafue District commissioner Grace Ngulube impounded two trucks which were transporting 1000 bags of fertilizer meant for farmers under the Farmer Input Support Program and was diverted from Chongwe to Kafue.

The case is currently being heard in the Kafue magistrate court.