A BLIND business executive of Kanyama Township in Lusaka has been convicted by the Lusaka Magistrate Court for hacking into more than seven politicians’ mobile phones and stealing talk-time worthy more than K18,000.
Jairos Tembo 25, a losing Forum for democracy and development (FDD) candidate in the 2011 elections was convicted yesterday after principal magistrate Aridah Chuulu found him guilty in all the counts.
Ms Chuulu could however not pass sentence but reserved it to April 9, 2014 because Tembo was not a first offender in the similar offence as such, she needed his previous convictions to be produced before she can pass judgment.
Tembo who gave his particulars as being a journalist and businessman was charged with unauthorised access to data and theft of talk-time from several politicians and a business executive, owner of Muvi television, Steve Nyirenda who is his cousin.
Among the politicians who fell prey to Tembo’s dubious and fraudulent deeds are commerce minister Bob Sichinga, former defence minister Geoffrey Mwamba, Kabwata Member of Parliament Given Lubinda, Willie Nsanda, Michael Mabenga, Mike Mulongoti and retired politician Vernon Mwaanga.
Tembo of house number 230 old Kanyama township committed the offences between December and July 18, 2012.
Ms Chuulu said in her ruling yesterday that it was true that Tembo accessed several people’s phones and siphoned talktime which resulted in them losing money and eventually lodging complaints to their mobile
service providers.
She said Tembo, registered a fictitious sim-card under the name of James Sakala a dealer based in Mumbwa which he used to steal airtime from people’s phones.
Ms Chuulu said that investigations which were carried out revealed that Tembo was the owner of the number which was receiving talktime siphoned from people’s phones but the same number was registered under Sakala in Mumbwa when there was no such a dealer in Mumbwa.
She said that there was evidence before court that Tembo had in 2011 hired a vehicle to use in his campaigns in Feira and the numbers that he left with them were the same numbers that were registered under the name of a dealer, Sakala based in Mumbwa.
Ms Chuulu said that Tembo hired the vehicle for six days under the pretext that he would pay K650 per day but he later switched off all his three phones.
But Tembo during his defence denied all the allegations saying he was already in prison at the time people’s talk-time was being stolen and that at some time, he was out of the country in Namibia.
Bakabolala teba nensu
It would folly if this man is not headhunted by telecommunications companies! !
I haven’t really understood how the man was able to steal airtime frm all those peoples’ phones, somebody help please….
Do you honestly think they would tell you that…that’s like you giving away your PIN number to everyone! !
whilst this guy is a genius, PF cadres with proper eye sight cant use half their brains
I dont understand either, I only know as one of the brightest stundent, despite his status as a blind man.
I dont understand either, I only know him as one of the brightest student, despite his status as a blind man.
These are the people gvt need to nurture into IT specialists!
he shud teach me so that i can steal talk time from the useless ministers like kambwili
Please leave him alone and let us all get back to abschool so that we can ring fence our systems including mobile
companies IT personnel.
Release this man and direct his technology to a more constructive outlet.
Give him social sentence and let him work in some government IT departments without pay
He needs to be rewarded for unlocking the security code of politicians,if it was in the USA he would be hired by Microsoft
Lazo God knew why he made the man blind otherwise guy could have stolen from all of us, jail him 5 years imprisonment with hard labour let him sweep the cells
Mama! Technology booming. Hire him please.
We could use a man with his particular skills
You don’t have to be Bemba after all even their Mbuyas a great at it. The man is a genius; you can’t deny it.
Comment: True that man is a real genius as blind as he is hacking air time? I wonder if he can’t just hack a plane alone!!!!!