31 May 2012 :

Levy Chongo, 35-year-old, of Solwezi has been sentenced to death by the Kitwe High Court, Zambia, for aggravated robbery. Particulars of the offence are that on May 14 last year in Solwezi, Chongo and other unknown people stole K8.5 million from SGC Limited and threatened violence on a security guard identified as Robert Kaluba. Delivering judgement, Judge Isaac Chali, sitting in Solwezi, said he had found evidence that a firearm was used in the robbery. A fuel attendant, Geoffrey Mwape testified, that on the material day, he was with his colleagues at the filling station when they heard the door to the minimart kicked open. Mr Mwape narrated that three men entered the minimart, produced guns and asked for money. He told the court that two of the assailants had guns while the third one was armed with a knife. Mr Mwape testified that two of the bandits wore masks while the third did not. He testified that the criminals proceeded into the minimart and one of them hit him on the head as he tried to check what was happening inside. Mr Mwape told the court that he bled profusely from the assault. He testified that the robbers shot his colleague, Robert Kalusa, in the knee inside the minimart before getting away with the money. But in defence, Chongo denied being involved in the robbery at SGC filling station, arguing that he was serving a prison sentence at Solwezi prison for two counts of assault at the time of the incident. He denied being found in possession of a pistol belonging to the Drug Enforcement Commission and that police only found him with K75,000 at the time of his arrest. But Mr Justice Chali dismissed Chongo’s story as a mere afterthought.