A38-YEAR-OLD pastor of Grace Ministries Church in Zambia in Kabwe has been jailed for three years for stealing K106,117 meant for the education and feeding programme of vulnerable children. The Kabwe Magistrate’s Court jailed Chrispin Mundia of Railways Township after finding him guilty of theft, forgery and uttering a false document. Mundia, who was represented by Jeremiah Sinkinde, denied all the charges but magistrate Sebastian Mwenya found him guilty on all the 15 counts.

He said the court was sentencing him to two years imprisonment with hard labour in eight of the 15 counts. He added: “The accused is sentenced to one year imprisonment with hard labour for each of the following: three, five, seven, nine, 11,13 and 15 counts subject to confirmation by the High Court.” Magistrate Mwenya said the court was satisfied that the evidence before it was overwhelming against Mundia as the prosecution proved the case beyond any reasonable doubt on all the counts.

In his defence, Mundia said he was overseeing the feeding programme of the vulnerable children who attended school in four community schools under Grace Ministries Church in Zambia. He said two are in Nakoli and Kamushanga unplanned townships in Kabwe and the other two in Mbala and Mufulira. Mundia said he regularly received money for the feeding programme from Grace Ministries Church of United States of America and, to the best of his knowledge, used the money as instructed.