A FARMER of Serenje has lost K62,000 he raised from the sale of maize in Nakonde after a prostitute he allegedly picked to spend a night with stole the money as he was asleep. Obert Kalengo, 34, travelled to Nakonde to sell 1,090 bags of maize to a private buyer and made K120,000, which he could not take to the bank because the transaction was done after working hours. After selling his maize, Mr Kalengo allegedly picked a sex worker to keep him company as he waited for the following day to continue with his business.

But Mr Kalengo woke up to a rude shock when he discovered that the woman he was with in a room had left with part of his money. After noticing that the prostitute had gone away with his money, he rushed to a police station and reported the matter Muchinga Province Commissioner of Police Joel Njase said in an interview yesterday that the incident happened on Thursday around 03:00 hours.

Mr Njase said Mr Kalengo told police that the woman he came to know only as Namukoko had gone with his K62,000 from a guest house. According to police, Mr Kalengo met the woman at the same guest house and later went with her to Limusote Night Club for a drink. From the night club, Mr Kalengo invited Namukoko to his room so that he could spend the night with her at a fee of K300. “When the victim woke up around 06:00 hours the following day, he noticed that the woman had left the room.

When he checked his bag which contained money, he discovered that the K62,000 was missing,” he said. Police have instituted investigations into the matter and no arrests have been made so far. Nakonde District Commissioner Field Simwinga described the incident as unfortunate and urged farmers travelling to Nakonde to sell maize to private buyers to be cautious. Mr Simwinga said there are many people who travel to Nakonde with different motives, hence the need for farmers to be careful.

He said the theft of Mr Kalengo’s money could have been avoided if he slept alone or declared the money to the guest house manager so that it could be kept for him. Meanwhile, a man of Tefwe Village in Nakonde is nursing gunshot wounds after his son allegedly shot him on suspicion that he caused the death of his grandson. Mr Njase said Willard Simbeye was shot on his right hand on Thursday around 24:00 hours by his son, Ronald Simbeye. He said Ronald visited a witchdoctor, who informed him that his father was responsible for the death of his son. Mr Njase