A banker has narrated in the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court how a businessman allegedly swindled her out of K50,000 on pretext that he had a piece of land for sale.

The State witness told the Court that she discovered that the accused had sold the piece of land to another couple who had even started building after depositing the said amount in his account.

In this matter, Morgan Muzambalika is charged with obtaining money by false pretences.

Particulars of the offence allege that in March, last year, Muzambalika obtained K50,000 from Charity Mulenga, a banker, on the pretext that he had a piece of land for sale, when in fact not.

And when the matter came up for trial before Magistrate Lameck Mwale, Wednesday, Mulenga testified that in March, last year, she saw a Facebook post where an agent was advertising a piece of land in Silverest area.

She told the Court that when she contacted a Mr Mulenga so that she could view the piece of land, he told her that he was tied up and referred her to a Mr Muwowo, whom she later contacted.

Mulenga said when she was shown the land, she liked it.

“Mr Muwowo showed me the land and the following Saturday I asked my husband to escort me to view the land and he also liked it,” Mulenga testified.

She further testified that she asked the same Muwowo to introduce her to the owner of the land and he introduced her to Morgan Muzambalika.

She told the Court that she later met Muzambalika and asked him for details of the same piece of land, which he gave.

Mulenga said when Muzambalika gave her the plot number, she went to the Ministry of Lands to ascertain the authenticity of the details.

She added that when she produced the plot number at the Ministry of Lands, it was confirmed that the plot was in Muzambalika’s name.

Mulenga told the Court that she later asked Muzambalika to prepare a contract of sale for the plot so that she could buy it, adding that she deposited K50,000 in the accused’s account.

“On April 20, last year, I deposited K50,000 in Mr Muzambalika’s bank account and took the transaction receipt to Butler law firm where I met the accused from. I would visit the land to check if the title was out, but they would always tell me that the process is still going on,” she narrated.

Mulenga said when she went on-site to get an update over the title in December, she found some people building a house on the plot she had already bought.

“The builders informed me that the house they were building belonged to Mr and Mrs Nkana. When I contacted the Nkana’s, they confirmed having bought the plot from Muzambalika,” she said.

Mulenga told the Court that when she phoned Muzambalika to resolve the issue, he was nowhere to be seen.

She said she reported the matter to the police who later arrested Muzambalika.

Trial continues on July 16.