Court of Appeal judge Catherine Makungu has withdrawn a case in which a Congolese tailor allegedly stole a six meter chitenge material valued at K350 from her.

This is in a matter in which Andrew Choma, an Intercity based tailor, was facing one count of theft of a chitenge material.

When the case came up for trial, a public prosecutor informed magistrate Austine Mubita that the matter be withdrawn under section 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code Cap 88 of the Laws of Zambia.

In a notice for leave to withdraw the case addressed to the principal state advocate Gamariel Zimba, public prosecutor Sitwala informed the National Prosecutions Authority that the judge had decided to withdraw the matter as the accused had pleaded with her to resolve the matter outside court.

Magistrate Mubita granted the application to withdraw the case and subsequently discharged Choma.

According to facts before court, judge Makungu gave three pieces of six-metre material to the tailor, paid K600 for labour, and asked him to sew two suits and a dress.

After a few days, Judge Makungu went to check on her material and found Choma ironing one of her chitenge pieces with a woman who said she loved it so much and she would take it to South Africa, not knowing the owner was around.

However, at the time of collecting, judge Makungu was only given one suit and a dress as the tailor claimed that the other material had been stolen prompting her to report the matter to police.