AFORMER banker has told the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court how he failed to get a loan from a financial institution after being informed that someone else had used his personal details to obtain a credit facility. Owen Sakala told Lusaka chief resident magistrate Lameck Mwale that a Zanaco credit reference bureau report showed that he got a loan from the commercial bank when he had not done so.

Mr Sakala was testifying in a case a police officer is appearing in court for allegedly forging a national registration card (NRC) and obtaining pecuniary advantage worth over K500,000. This is a case in which the accused, also identified as Owen Sakala, 45, of Namwandwe village in Mansa, is facing four counts of forgery, personation, uttering a false document and obtaining pecuniary advantage. Between January 1 and October 2, 2000, with intent to defraud, Sakala allegedly forged NRC number 552972/11/1 in the name of Owen Sakala.

He allegedly purported that the NRC was genuinely issued to him by the National Registration and Citizenship Office when in fact not. In the second count, it is alleged that between September and October 2000, Sakala fraudulently uttered NRC number 552971/11/1 in the name of Owen Sakala to Dickson Banda, a staff training officer at Lilayi Police Training College. In count three, on October 2, 2000 in Lusaka, Sakala allegedly falsely represented himself to be a person whose name was on a Grade 12 school certificate number 860146188 lawfully issued by the Examinations Council of Zambia.

He allegedly falsely represented himself to be the person certified to have the school certificate so that he could get a job. In the fourth count, it is alleged that on October 2, 2000, by means of false pretences, Sakala dishonestly obtained pecuniary advantage of K529,386, having been allowed as per Zambia Police Service terms and conditions of service to draw a salary. When the matter came up on Wednesday, Mr Sakala, the complainant, said a person bearing his names and NRC number obtained a loan from a bank using his identity details. “When I wanted to get a loan, I was told that I was not qualified for the debt service ratio.

They told me that Owen Sakala, being my details, already got a loan,” Mr Sakala said. When he asked for further details about the person who got a loan in his name, bank officials said they could not avail him such information for confidential reasons. Mr Sakala said he was advised to report the matter to the police, which he did. Earlier, Mr Sakala told the court that he had lost his NRC numbered 552972/11/1 twice in 1998 and 2014 and had replaced it. The matter will continue on April 7 this year.