Zambia’s former president’s son jailed for stealing phone

Lusaka, Zambia (PANA) – Zambia’s former president Frederick Chiluba’s son, Frederick Chiluba Jr., has been convicted and sentenced to eight months imprisonment with hard labour for stealing a mobile phone, the local media reported in Lusaka on Thursday.

Chiluba Jr., 33, a former Zambia Air Force officer, stole a Samsung S7 Edge worth K8,500 from Brenda Chisha of Lusaka. (US$1=K10.03)

Lusaka magistrate Nthandose Chabala jailed Chiluba to deter him from engaging in criminal activities. She told Chiluba Jr. that the offence he committed is a felony which attracts a custodial sentence to prevent the offender from engaging in similar criminal activities in future.

In mitigation, Chiluba Jr. pleaded with the court to exercise leniency on him by considering slapping a non-custodial sentence as he was a youth.

But the magistrate said despite the fact that Chiluba Jr. was a first offender and was apologetic, he still needed a custodial sentence so that it serves as a lesson to would-be offenders.
-0- PANA MM/MA 17May2018