The Chisamba Magistrate Court has set January 12, 2026 as judgment day in a case in which a 32-year-old man of Chisamba district is accused of breaking into a storeroom and stealing foodstuffs valued at K1, 370. The charge falls under Section 303 of Zambia’s Penal Code. Given Phiri, a security guard of Mupamapamo area, is also facing an additional charge of giving false information to a public officer, contrary to section 125 of the Penal Code.
The accused, identified by his employer as Given Phiri, was contracted by Sinohydro Corporation to enhance security at the company. Phiri earlier entered a not guilty plea on both charges when he appeared before Magistrate Litungi Litungi. Particulars of the offence are that on October 8, 2025, Phiri broke and entered a storeroom at Sinohydro Corporation, with the intent to commit a felony, and stole two and a half porches of potatoes, 20 kilogram bag of flour, 10 kilograms of rice, and three sachets of Chinese washing soap, all valued at K1,370.
In count two, the accused is alleged to have provided a false name to an officer, namely, Emmanuel Zulu, on October 9 this year, a name he knew to be false. The state closed its case after five prosecution witnesses gave their testimonies during the trial. When the matter came up for ruling, a prima facie case was established against Phiri, and he was placed on his defence.
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In mitigation, Phiri told the court that on the material day, he saw dogs dragging porches of potatoes, a 20 kg bag of flour, and three sachets of Chinese soap at the storeroom. He explained that after securing the dogs, he informed an electrician and a chef of what he had observed but he was subsequently taken to Chisamba Check Point Police Post upon discovering a pool stick improvised with a hook in his guard room. “After securing the dogs, I called an electrician, Mukela Musaka, to show him the items. And I also called a chef, Dyna Tembo, to check if there was any burglary,” Phiri said.
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