Police in Ndola have arrested former Defence minister George Mpombo for allegedly issuing a K10 million cheque on an insufficiently funded account to a local businessperson Terence Findlay.
Police spokesperson Bonny Kapeso said he was not aware of the arrest but Mr Mpombo confirmed the development in an interview yesterday.
Mr Mpombo said he was taken to Ndola Central police station in the company of his lawyer Bonaventure Mutale.
Police who charged Mr Mpombo with issuing a bounced cheque on an account which had insufficient funds, later released him on police bond and will appear in court on Friday this week.
“I was called in by the police sometime last week to appear before the Ndola Central police which I did today after my lawyer flew in from Lusaka,” Mr Mpombo said.
He said the police informed him that they had received instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) chambers to effect the arrest.
On January 5 this year, a Ndola firm, Colwyn Ltd reported Mr Mpombo to police for issuing a K10 million cheque to the company which was dishonoured by the bank.
Mr Mpombo told the Times that he used the cheque to pay back the K10 million which he borrowed from Colwyn Ltd owned by Mr Findlay.
He later paid the amount after the matter was reported to the police.
[Times of Zambia]
why so many cops just to arrest an elderly man
You might aswell arrest the whole of Zambia, times are hard so he is not the only one issuing Hot Cheques. This whole thing has the presidents signature written all over it.
I like this Mpombo he never ceases to amaze me.:-?
Well i hope that statement wont be taken by LT as an insult coz that is his name lest am put on moderation.
This is rubbish. Why arrest a man when the case was withdrawn? He paid the debt for goodness’s sake..
So many people are issuing platic cheques but have not been subjected to the harassment and embaracement Mr. Mpombo is going through. The other month my tenant gave me a cheque hoping that money would be in his account on the date on the cheque. When I discovered that his account was below the amount, I rang him and he explained and he made payment using other means. Our law is being abused to fix enemies. Its wrong because the standards you are setting to day will be used against you in future.
This is nonsense and embarrassing, why not arrest real thieves please….
why arresting Mpombo??????
political motives!!!!!!%%-%%-:@):@)
What is wrong with zambians kanshi? leave the old man alone. MMD knows the damages he will cause to it so they are trying to shut him up
God help these politicians. This is not the way to fix someone. This is an old issue and it was resolved. Why instruct Policemen to arrest Mr Mpombo now? Ba Shikulu there are a lot of issues pending in our beloved country which need your attention.
MMD at it’s best with RB and his boys just to bring down Mpombo and stop him from expressing his views about MMD. Let’s wait and see.
why??????
political motives!!!!!!:@):@):@)=))
It amazes me to read some of the comments on this LT. Read the law and undestand what it says about bouncing cheques. When you bounce a cheque, it is a criminal offence and the issue is not whether you have paid or not. The issue is the action of issueing a cheque knowing very well that you do not have money in your account. that is the offence. if the issue is brought to the attention of the police then it becomes the people vs you. if the guy whose tenant issued a cheque that bounced took the matter to police the same would have happend to the tenant. infact the tenant was lucky because sometimes it is the bank that may complain about it.
Dont worry George, it happened to Chansa Kabwela and the forces of evil were losers at the end.
Its too late, we all know that George paid the money, Findlays lawyers and the Police know this and we all know that this case was withdrawn. What Chalwe Mchenga is doing is killing himself slowly as days are numbered and he will hounded out in like manner in less than 24 months
#Mukango, yes its a crime but we all that George confessed by telling Findlay to hold on to the check before cashing it in but alas he went ahead and found out that there was no money. This whole issue stinks of political vendetta and George will go but another fierce force than George will emerge not only in Gabby but the whole of Kafulafuta and lufwanayama is rising up. can you contain them after greatly contributing to your election yet doubted successes?
:(( dayyyyyyyyuuuum, these are sad times indeed. Politics of vindictiveness indeed, this is only the begining. We need to brace ourselves abena zambia, it looks like our leadership has lost the plot for sure if you are not with them (MMD) then you are aganist them, and they will do everything they can to break you!
Wasn’t the case withdrawn by Findlay? Shame!
Why push this matter RB when Findlay was paid his K10million? These people should grow up and fight personal grudges elsewhere.Leave Mpombo alone…
PIPO, EDUCATE ME. IS A BOUNCED CHEQUE A CRIMINAL OFFENCE? OR IS IT ONLY MPOMBO’S CHEQUE WHICH HAS EVER BOUNCED IN ZAMBIA AND NO ANY OTHER ZAMBIAN? IF NOT WHY AREN’T THOSE ZAMBIANS OR RESIDENTS IN PRISON? LASTLY, DON’T BANKS IN ZAMBIA CHARGE A PENALTY ON BOUNCING CHEQUES? IF THEY DO THEN CAN WE SAY MPOMBO IS BEEN PUNISHED TWICE?
#12 Mukango thats why there are post dated checks which Mpombo did to Findlay, this all issue is nosense and political becuase thats the MMD fix people, and what goes arround come back arround.
#12, Mukango, Let me remind you of another law, It is a crime to ‘Obtain pecuniary advantage by false pretences’ and a ghost teacher who continued to draw salaries after resigning her job has still not been charged, Why? This case happened long before Mpombo’s. We have not forgotten. This is jungle law where some are above the law. It stinks. Your response #12?
TOO MUCH IGNORANCE ON THIS BLOG….. IF I KILL YOUR YOU…. YOUR FATHER CAN NOT WITHDRAW THE CASE… HE SHOULD NOT HAVE REPORTED!!!!! A COMPLANANT CAN NOT WITHDRAW A CRIMINAL CASE ONCE REPORTED TO POLICE!. IT IS BEYOND THIS FINDLAY CHAP . . . IT BECOMES PEOPLE VS MPOMBO…. FINDLAY WILL BE A WITNESS. THE LAW IS STRAIGHT FORWARD. IF YOU DONT HAVE MONEY IN YOUR ACCOUNT=DONT ISSUE A CHEQUE . IF YOUR CHEQUE IS RD BY BANK THEN ITS AN OFFENSE….. WHETHER IT IS MPOMBO, SATA, HH OR RB …. I HOPE THE CHAP WILL BE TAUGHT A SIMPLE LESSON. AFTER ALL HE IS AN MP…..HE MADE THE LAW!
TOO MUCH IGNORANCE ON THIS BLOG….. IF I KILL YOU…. YOUR FATHER CAN NOT WITHDRAW THE CASE… HE SHOULD NOT HAVE REPORTED!!!!! A COMPLANANT CAN NOT WITHDRAW A CRIMINAL CASE ONCE REPORTED TO POLICE!. IT IS BEYOND THIS FINDLAY CHAP . . . IT BECOMES PEOPLE VS MPOMBO…. FINDLAY WILL BE A WITNESS. THE LAW IS STRAIGHT FORWARD. IF YOU DONT HAVE MONEY IN YOUR ACCOUNT=DONT ISSUE A CHEQUE . IF YOUR CHEQUE IS RD BY BANK THEN ITS AN OFFENSE….. WHETHER IT IS MPOMBO, SATA, HH OR RB …. I HOPE THE CHAP WILL BE TAUGHT A SIMPLE LESSON. AFTER ALL HE IS AN MP…..HE MADE THE LAW!
no. 5, a criminal matter cannot be withdrawn by the complainant. Once Findlay reported, it moved to the next level. Yes, it will be looked at as victimisation. But, Mpombo as a leader and law maker himself ought to have known what the law he helped to craft entailed with regard to bouncing cheques. The tragedy is that in Zed people want have people go unpunished just because they are politicians. If you want Mpondo free, do not complain next time a Minister steals and they are not arrested.
23,22 Mpombo did not bounce the check. Findley deliberately deposited the cheque even after being asked to hold on to it. We all ask people we deal with such things. The point is RB instructed Findley the police and later even the courts to victimise Mpombo.
Apparently Zambians are getting used to such kind of life were the law is being used selectively. 51+1 will not go through with the NNC while Degree clause has already gone through. Do you need to be a genius to see through such cooked results?? Chiluba made theft of motor vehicles a big crime to victimise an individual. Kaunda was worse as such because he was even a dictator. Does any one remember what Kaunda did to Sata’s father? The Law of the land should not be made or used to target individuals. It should be for every citizen
embarrasing 10 million fye hahahaha
Sorry guys, that is the law and it has nothing to do with the RB that you hate so much without good reason. May I remind all bloggers that the Bank of Zambia publicised this law extensively and for many days/weeks during Levy’s era, warning people that the law on RD cheques had been stiffened. Those of you who care to read newspapers will know this. The objective of BOZ was to instill confidence in the Zambian banking system and discourage the use of cash, which is both unsafe and rather primitive by modern standards. Sorry it is The People vs Mpombo with Findlay and the bank as witnesses. If RB tried to help Mpombo on this one, he would be accused by Sata and Sataist bloggers of breaking the law. Personally, I think that it is a good law.
#20 mwanta: this was no postdated cheque, baba, otherwise Mpombo would simply have deposited that K10 million cash before the cheque matured. If indeed it was a post-dated cheque, there would be and there will be no case against ‘Honourable” Mpombo. After his relentless ranting tantrums recently I expected that Mpombo was Axion squeeky clean. Reminds one of the adage “If you live in a glass house, do not throw stones at others”.
No. 25, this is the mediocrity we must wipe off the face of politics in Zambia. You cannot issue a cheque with current date and ask someone to hold on to it. If you are not ready, you issue a postdated cheque. If Mpombo did not know that then he is headed for doom politically.
LT This is an old picture when Mpombo was still Minister. It is misleading.
However, it looks like Mpombo is ‘hunted’. Who is the hunter and why. Could some one educate me please?
It is RB’s fault because his shushushus put a gun to Mpombo’s head and made him write and sign the cheque under duress even when they knew that Mpombo did not have the required funds in his account.
Number 1, the photo on this story is not a photo taken while arresting Mpombo. It’s a photo taken long time ago when Mpombo then as defence minister went on a tour border posts. If not mistaken , that should be a border in North Western Province. Ba LT naimwe, you should indicate when you use file photos. I am journalist cum economist. Don’t mislead people.
ba mpombo is an MP who should know better than us,that bouncing chqs is sin.ebapanga ama laws ayayene.Let him dance to his own tune shaaaaa!
Number 19, it’s an offence to issue cheques on insufficiently funded accounts. However, the onus is on the complainant to logde the case with police. In this case, Mr. Findlay reported the case. If anyone issues such a cheque to you, it’s upto you and upto your relationship with the clientr as to what action to take.
pa zed life is fanny