LOSING independent candidate in the 2018 Lusangazi council chairperson by-election Patrick Banda has been arrested for allegedly impersonating Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo. Banda, 39, has also allegedly been obtaining money by false pretences. Eastern Province Commissioner of Police Lackson Sakala said Banda was arrested in Katete on Tuesday after he allegedly swindled five transporters out of over K25,000 in Chipata by impersonating Mr Lusambo.

Mr Sakala told a media briefing here yesterday that the suspect is a Petauke resident who contested the 2018 Lusangazi council chairperson by-election but lost. “Patrick Banda did actually steal K26,600 from five transporters by impersonating Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo. “We have been tracking his phone because of the money transactions that have been going on using the name of Mr Lusambo. We traced a booth where he withdrew the money from,” he said

Mr Sakala said Banda was arrested in Katete district when he withdrew money sent to him by one of the transporters after allegedly lying that he was Lusaka Province minister. And Mr Lusambo has commended the police command in Eastern Province for arresting Banda. “He is facing several criminal charges and will appear in court soon. On a number of occasions, this individual has been calling my friends, some Cabinet colleagues and some business people. “He has been doing this with desperate pleas for financial assistance for him to sort out some pressing financial issues,” Mr Lusambo said on his Facebook page.

He warned that other people who could be involved in the same scam will soon be arrested. “If any of you receives a phone call purporting to be coming from me and asking for financial assistance, please disregard it and immediately call ZICTA (Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority) on 7070 to report such scams. “For those contemplating joining such fraud rings, know that the law will soon catch up with you and you shall be prosecuted for the offence of impersonation and obtaining money by false pretences,” Mr Lusambo said