Serenje teacher in court for rape

A 33 year old teacher in Serenje today appeared for plea in the Serenje’s magistrate court for rape.

Gershom Mbambara of Nsomaulwa basic school in Serenje is alleged to have raped
Getrude Chileshe on June 21 this year.

Mbambara, who appeared before magistrate Philip Chisenga, denied the charge and the
case was adjourned to July 25 for trial.

In the same court, a serving prisoner has been jailed for nine months with hard
labour for escaping from lawful custody.

Justine Chibuye, 27 , who was serving a n 18 month jai term, escaped from lawful
custody on February 23, 2004 from Miloso Open-Air prison in Serenje and was spotted
at the district agricultural show last weekend.

Police arrested him on Monday this week.

Magistrate Chisenga ordered that the nine month sentence should run consecutively
with the one Chibuye is currently serving.

And the state has entered a nolle prosequi in a case in which a 21 year old woman
Liness Chola of Lubembe area in Serenje was charged with murder.

Chola  is alleged to have murdered her mother, Jenipher Kunda in March this year.

Magistrate Chisenga said the state had decided to discontinue the case and set Chola
free.

Chola who could not believe the outcome of her case, kept smiling to herself in the
dock to the amusement of the court.

Meanwhile, magistrate Chisenga has sentenced a 79 year old woman of Nipiona village
in chief Kabamba’s area  in Serenje for trafficking in dagga.

Elisa Nkamba was on June 17, this year found with 1,300 grams of dagga at her home
when Drug Enforcement Commission officers (DEC) raided her home around 06.00 hours.

Magistrate Chisenga sentenced Nkamba to six months simple imprisonment suspended for three  years  on condition that she should not commit a similar offence.