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The Serenje Magistrate Court has sentenced a 56 year old man of Katikulula resettlement scheme to 24 mouths simple imprisonment for stealing K6,600 belonging to the Blind Farmers Club of Serenje.
Appearing before Magistrate Fidelis Ngosa was Isaiah Mushota charged with two counts of theft contrary to section 272 of the Penal code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the offence were that Mushota who was at the time chairperson of the Blind Farmers Club of Serenje and his Treasurer Edwina Mando 44 on 17th Jaunary, 2012 jointly and whilst acting together, did steal K6, 600 cash money belonging to Blind Famers Club of Serenje district.
In the second count, particulars of the offence were that Mushota and Edwina Mando also of Katikulula Resettlement Scheme on 7th June, 2013 jointly and whilst acting together, did steal K10, 000 also belonging to the Blind Farmers Club of Serenje District.
Mushota pleaded guilty to the charge while Mando denied both charges saying she was just being instructed by Mando to withdraw the money.
In mitigation, Mushota said he was a blind man married with three school going children and if he was sent to jail it would be tantamount to killing his children and asked the court to exercise leniency on him.
Mushota also pleaded with the court to give him time to refund the money as he did not know what he was doing.
And passing judgment, Magistrate Ngosa said the law does not discriminate regardless of the offender’s physical status.
“In terms of physical condition, the law does not allow anyone to commit an offence or crime and if a blind person commits any offence, they should be ready to suffer the consequences of their actions,” Said Magistrate Ngosa.
Magistrate Ngosa added that the total amount of K16, 600 which the accused stole should have accumulated a lot of profit adding that government has good interventions to employ blind people instead of them begging on the streets.
Mushota’s sentence will run concurrently.
Meanwhile , trial in Mando’s matter comes on 2nd October, 2014.
