Steven Masumba says he feels sad and sorry for his mother

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Steven Masumba-SPORTS Deputy Minister - Lusakavoice.com
Steven Masumba-SPORTS Deputy Minister - Lusakavoice.com

MUFUMBWE member of Parliament (MP) Steven Masumba says he feels sad and sorry for his mother following the Lusaka High Court’s decision to uphold a one-year jail sentence slapped on him by the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court. Speaking to journalists in Lusaka shortly before he was ferried to prison, Masumba said High Court judge Chalwe Mchenga’s decision has left his family, especially his mother, in shock.
“It has an impact on my family and more importantly to my mother. I think she is in shock right now as I speak. But I have put all this in the hands of God and I know at the right time God is going to redeem me from this situation,” he said.
Masumba said he feels sorry for the people of Mufumbwe, who voted for him because the jail sentence imposed on him will have a negative impact on his parliamentary duties
“I would not wish to say much but obviously my personal decision is that I feel, morally, the issue of being MP there (Mufumbwe) needs to be consulted very well or else I do not feel like continuing,” he said.
Masumba said Mr Justice Mchenga’s decision to send him to prison is the will of God and there is nothing he can do about it but wait for God to redeem him.
The Lusaka High Court has upheld a one-year jail sentence slapped on Masumba by the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court for possession of a fraudulently obtained accounting diploma.
Masumba is alleged to have falsely obtained a technician accounting diploma from the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA).
Masumba is alleged to have falsely obtained a technician accounting diploma from the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA).
Masumba submitted in his grounds of appeal that Mr Muma erred in law and fact when he found that he falsely pretended to have a diploma, obtained pecuniary advantage and failed to report an error on his qualification.
But High Court judge Chalwe Mchenga said in a judgment delivered in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Muma was on firm grounds when he convicted and jailed Masumba to 12 months imprisonment because the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
“The appellant [Masumba]should in fact consider himself to be lucky in the sense of the adverse observation against him, he still ended up with a sentence of 12 months imprisonment.
“The sentence does not come to me with any sense of shock. Consequently, the appeal against conviction and sentence is dismissed Tthe appellant’s conviction for obtaining pecuniary advantage by false pretences and the sentence of 12 months is upheld. Leave to appeal is granted,” Mr Justice Mchenga said.
He dismissed Masumba’s grounds of appeal because there was no miscarriage of justice in refusing to admit into evidence Masumba’s 2003 examination result transcript.
Mr Justice Mchenga said the prosecution evidence was not contradictory and that he was not prosecuted for failing to report that he was erroneously listed for graduation.
He said the prosecution’s evidence is complementary and not contradictory, contrary to Masumba’s submissions.
Mr Justice Mchenga said the sum total of the prosecution witness’s evidence is that Masumba graduated and received an accounting technician diploma signed by a NIPA official when he knew he failed one course.
He said Mr Muma’s findings cannot be faulted because Masumba falsely pretended when he presented himself and obtained employment at Lusaka Business and Technical College as a person who had graduated after completing a course.
“I find that the prosecution evidence proved that the appellant made a false pretence before being employed. The appellant was not employed because he had a diploma certificate signed by a NIPA official but because he presented himself as having a diploma certificate after attending NIPA and passing the accounts technician course,” he said.
Mr Justice Mchenga said Mr Muma found Masumba to have acted dishonestly when he obtained employment using a false document.
“Having found that the records at NIPA were authentic, it is inconceivable that the appellant had failed one course and absconded another and, therefore, not completed the course and not qualified as an accountant,” he said.
Mr Justice Mchenga said Masumba was employed on the basis of the irregularly obtained diploma and was allowed to work as well as earn money.
Masumba’s lawyer Mutakela Lisimba said he will appeal against the High Court’s judgment.
Particulars of the offence are that Masumba obtained employment for himself as an accounting clerk at Lusaka Business and Technical College by falsely pretending that he held a qualification of accounting technician when in fact he did not.
The offence is alleged to have been committed between December 1, 2005 and August 25, 2008 in Lusaka.

 

Zambia Daily Mail

20 COMMENTS

  1. Hahahahaah i would rather forge a university paper than that of a skool like NIPA,masumba wanisekesa ine but judge enze very linient the chap cud hv been slaped wt a 5yr sentence!

  2. Hahahahaah i would rather forge a university paper than that of a skool like NIPA,masumba wanisekesa ine but judge enze very linient the chap cud hv been slaped wt a 5yr sentence!

  3. Hahahahaah i would rather forge a university paper than that of a skool like NIPA,masumba wanisekesa ine but judge enze very linient the chap cud hv been slaped wt a 5yr sentence!

  4. i agree with masumba on this… His mum shud be in agony that her only begotten son in the name of masumba decided not to sit for the two papers and decided to blow the exam fees…

  5. Many of those in jail have mothers; not just Steven Masumba. In fact, one year is even lenient because someone went in for three years for stealing food

  6. Its terrible blow to his mum after all she did for him and even sending him to NIPA just to end up that stupid act. Why enrol for a course if U are scared of examz? Somethings just come back hitting U harder when U think things are becoming merrier. What a pity?

  7. You are even luck due to the bais judiciary system we have your friend went in for 3yrs over food!

  8. Too bad for him. I feel for his mother. Maybe just maybe if he hadn’t appealed, from the time he was jailed last year in November. By now he would have served 10months. Minus good behaviour he would have been released

  9. Too bad for him. I feel for his mother. Maybe just maybe if he hadn’t appealed, from the time he was jailed last year in November. By now he would have served 10months. Minus good behaviour he would have been released

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