Former Kasama Member of Parliament Kelvin Sampa has been ordered by the Lusaka High Court to pay back 1.4 million Kwacha he fraudulently obtained from a client on the pretence that he would help them clear the impounded goods at Zambia Revenue Authority – ZRA.
Lusaka High Court Judge Commercial Division, Hon. Mrs Justice Koreen Etambuyu Mwenda-Zimba has ordered the former lawmaker to pay back the 1.4 million Kwacha he fraudulently obtained from Mbaruku Trading.
Mbaruku trading as importers of Konyagi beer, a popular Vodka from Tanzania paid Kelvin Sampa a sum of 1.4 million Kwacha to clear goods on their behalf that where impounded by the Zambia Revenue Authority, as he claimed that he had connections at ZRA but Mr Sampa did not do anything to have the impounded goods released.
Kelvin Sampa instead sought to order ZRA and Commissioner Customs to release the goods as the client was a “friend” of the party and Government, but ZRA refused to obey his criminal directives.
Mr Sampa later disappeared claiming that the 1.4 million Kwacha he was paid to clear the goods was meant to be his Commission to engage ZRA.
The Commercial Court has established that Mr Sampa acted dishonestly and stole the 1.4 million Kwacha, hence being ordered to pay back the money to Salehe Mbaruku and Mbaruku Trading.
Brief facts of the matter are that, in March 2021, Mbaruku Trading truck carrying Konyagi beer was impounded by the Zambia Revenue Authority, and when Mr Mbaruku Sengulo explained the ordeal to Mr Ackim Lungu the Patriotic Front – PF Chairman in COMESA market, who explained to him that he knew Mr Sampa and that he would assist him with the issue of the impounded goods, after Mr Sampa was engaged on the issue he explained to the duo that he would help with getting the goods released as he had contacts at ZRA and he later demanded for about 1.2 million Kwacha as full and final penalty payment to have the goods released after some negotiations, mitigation and pleading, and on the advice of Mr Sampa, Mr Mbaruku Sengulo paid a total of 1.4 million Kwacha to Mr Sampa for the purpose of paying ZRA and that excess ampunt would be utilised by Mr Sampa as a service commission fee.
Additionally, after making the payment, Mr Mbaruku realised later that Mr Sampa had not paid ZRA, Mr Sampa was earlier reported at the Police in Lusaka after he refused to have received the money from Mr Salehe Mbaruku Sengulo, and when he was arrested, he signed an agreement that he will pay back the 1.4 million Kwacha but he never did so, and when Mr Mbaruku Sengulo stated that he had CCTV footage of Mr Sampa receiving the money, Mr Sampa later on agreed to pay back the money, and on 2nd December, 2021 Mr Sampa took a sum of 10,000 United States Dollar to Lusaka Central Police via the case officer Mr Max Nkombalume but Mr Mbaruku Sengulo did not collect the money as Mr Sampa told him on phone that it was the only money he was going to pay back, as he did not intend to pay back the money as can be seen from the agreement which does not show how he would liquidate the entire sum.