THE Lusaka businessman has been sentenced to five years imprisonment for stealing two television (TV) sets at former President Edgar Lungu’s Ibex Hill residence.

This is in a case Angel Chipasha Chipasha was charged with burglary and theft, a charge he denied. But the court found him guilty and in the verdict,
Lusaka magistrate Crispin Hampungani said he needed to impose a custodial sentence on Angel Chipasha to deter would be offenders.

Chipasha’s defence lawyer applied for bail pending hearing of the appeal but magistrate Hampungani dismissed the application.

Evidence is that on night of August 9, 2022, in Lusaka, the accused broke and entered Mr Lungu’s house with intent to steal.

He then stole two television sets worth K66, 000, the property of Shimbinzyani Chavula.

During trial, the court heard that there were two power blackouts at Mr Lungu’s rented Ibex house before it was later discovered that two television sets had been stolen at the residence.

A police inspector narrated that after earlier experiencing blackouts at the residence, he later discovered that an electric fence had been cut at the premises.

Dala Mayondi, 42, a police inspector, narrated that on the material day, he reported for duty at 18:00 at Mr Lungu’s residence Ibex Hill.

“Around 01:00hours, power went off. I quickly rushed to switch on the genset. Before reaching the genset, power came,” he narrated.

Mr Mayondi said he checked on the genset and later moved to the nearby garden in the yard.

He said the following day, it was discovered that there was a break-in after the electric fence was tampered with and that TVs were missing.

But in his defence, Chipasha denied the allegation but that he was only asked to find a buyer for the television sets.

He further informed the court that the person who gave him the TVs, whom he only identified as Emmanuel, is imprisoned on the Copperbelt.