RABECCA BANDA writes
Minister of Labour and Social Security Joyce Simukoko has told the magistrates court how a secretary forged a cheque of K15,000.
This is in a case Nyembezi Masiye, 47, of Chilenje Township in Lusaka is charged with three counts of forgery, uttering false documents and theft.
It is alleged that on 26 August last year, Masiye, with intent to defraud and deceive, forged cheque number 000354 purporting to show that the signatory had paid her K15,000 when in fact not.
In the second count, it is alleged that on October 10 last year, Masiye uttered a false cheque number 000354 to Indo Zambia Bank.
In the third count, it is alleged that on the same date, Masiye stole K10,000 belonging to Minister of Labour and Social Security Joyce Simukoko.
Simukoko, 63, of Woodlands told Magistrate Felix Kaoma that she left a cheque of K5,000 with her temporary Secretary Masiye.
She said Masiye was brought in temporary as a typist and secretary.
She said on 26 August, she was going out on duty and filled in a cheque of K5,000 in figures and the date.
She said she Instructed Masiye to fill in the details of Kabangwe Catholic Mission Orphanage and the amount in words.
She said she had already told a nun from the orphanage and was expecting her to go and collect the cheque.
She said after two months, she wondered why she had not heard from the nun at the orphanage because normally they knowledge receiving the money.
She said later, she received an SMS from Indo Zambia Bank informing her that there was debit of K15,000 from her account.
She said she was alarmed and went to the bank where they pulled out a cheque and it was discovered to be in the name of Masiye in the sum of K15,000.
She said she discovered that it wasn’t the amount she had Instructed Masiye and it wasn’t her hand writing that wrote K15,000.
She said when she looked at the cheque at the bank, she noticed that a number 1 was added to K5,000 to make it K15,000.
The matters comes up on 31 July for cross examination and continued trial.
