ACTING President Guy Scott has pardoned former minister of Defence George Mpombo and former deputy Minister of Youth and Sport Stephen Masumba and immediately released them from prison.
Commissioner of Prisons Percy Chato said in an interview yesterday that Dr Scott has pardoned Mr Masumba and Mr Mpombo under a presidential amnesty.
“The Acting President has constitutional powers to commute the remainder of the sentences as a gesture for good behaviour while in custody,” he said.
Mr Chato said Mr Masumba was released yesterday from Mwembeshi Maximum Prison, while Mr Mpombo was released from Lusaka Central Prison commonly known as Chimbokaila.
He said Mr Masumba, who is Mufumbwe member of Parliament (MP), and Mr Mpombo are among the 10 prisoners released under presidential amnesty while the rest are from Kabwe female prison.
Meanwhile, efforts to get a comment from Mr Masumba proved futile while Mr Mpombo’s phone was answered by his daughter, who said her father was driving and could not make a comment over his release.
Mr Mpombo was serving a 9-month jail sentence for theft by public servant, forgery and uttering a false document.
The three counts of forgery, uttering false documents and theft of public funds amounted to K18,000, which related to his failure to retire imprest.
In Mr Masumba’s case, the Lusaka High Court upheld a 12-month sentence slapped on him by the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court for using a fraudulent accounting diploma to get a job.
Source: Zambia Daily Mail
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