Lusaka Magistrate Faidess Hamaundu has issued a bench warrant against two Lusaka men who allegedly forged Home affairs minister Steven Kampyongo’s signature on a work permit.

And Kampyongo who was scheduled to testify in the forgery case appeared in the Lusaka magistrate court accompanied by plain-clothed police officers.

This is in a matter in which Owen Shantumbu and Mambo Maluba are facing charges of forgery, uttering of false documents and obtaining money by false pretenses.

Magistrate Hamaundu was compelled to issue a bench warrant against Shantumbu and Maluba after the state made an application to have the accused brought under warrant due to the continuous absconding of court sessions since the matter begun.

State prosecutor Richard Nyeleti said the accused had so far presented six sick notes for missing court; unnecessarily delaying the case which was frustrating.

Magistrate Hamaundu issued a bench warrant which is returnable on July 6, 2017.

Allegations are that between October 1 and 18 2016, the duo made a false document with intent to defraud authorising the issuance of a arid permit purporting to show that it was genuinely signed by the Minister when in fact not.
Shantumbu and Maluba are also accused of uttering a false document namely a work permit to Mahmood Muffakahar, a South African national.

They further alleged to have obtained K12,500 from Muffakahar by falsely pretending that they had a genuine work permit when in fact not.