FARMERS WHO WERE WAITING FOR MONEY TO START FALLING FROM THE SKY ARRESTED BY ZAWA ‘WITCHDOCTOR’
A Zambia Wildlife Officer had to pretend as a witchdoctor to apprehend three farmers of Kalomo District who were found with a Genet skin and pangolin scales among others.
Byta FM Court Beat Journalist reports that this is in a case where Godwin Siamulonzya is jointly charged with Clever Hibajeene and Tinda Towinse on three counts of unlawful possession of government trophy.
The accused persons are appearing before Resident Magistrate Ethel Phiri in the Choma Magistrate’s Court.
In the first count, the defendants are on 20th November this year alleged to have been found with three Genet skins.
In the second count, the accused persons are alleged to have been found in possession of four pangolin scales without any lawful authority.
And in the last count, the defendants are alleged to have been found with a python skin without legal authority.
Siamulonzya and Towinse denied the charges while Hibajeene pleaded guilty to all of them.
The statement of the offense revealed that the Wildlife officer disguised himself as a witch doctor from whom the accused persons wanted to seek rituals which would make them rich.
The three were arrested in the process as they were waiting for money to start falling from the sky.
The court found Hibajeene guilty on personal admission.
Magistrate Phiri handed a five year jail sentence to Hibajeene while granting the other accused persons a K20, 000 bail in their own recognizance with two working sureties.
The duo will be appearing on 14th December, 2020 for mention.
*Picture of Genet skin used for illustration