FORMER Mandevu PF aspiring member of parliament Amon Maviya has denied obtaining money by false pretences saying the allegations were only meant to block him from contesting the said seat.

This is a matter in which Maviya was dragged to court for allegedly obtaining money from a Chinese national by pretending that he had Mukula logs and authority from ZAFFICO to sell, when in fact not.

He is charged with five counts of forgery, uttering false documents and obtaining goods by false pretences.

In count one, it is alleged that on August 3, 2020 in Lusaka, Maviya with intent to deceive or defraud forged a document namely; a Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporations (ZAFFICO) acknowledgement of receipt dated August 8, 2020, by purporting to show that it was genuinely issued and signed by ZAFFICO when in fact not.

In count two, it is alleged that on August 8, 2020 in Lusaka, Maviya knowingly and fraudulently uttered the said document to Min Jae Kwon.

In count three, it is alleged that on August 1, 2020, Maviya with intent to deceive or defraud forged a document, namely; Approval of Lifting Containers by TSHL of China dated August 3, 2020, by purporting to show that it was genuinely issued and signed by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

In count four, it is alleged that Maviya on August 3, 2020, in Lusaka knowingly and fraudulently uttered the said document to Min Jae Kwon.

And in the last count, Maviya is alleged to have between July 10, 2020 and August 24, 2020, obtained K89,750 and US $3,500 cash from Min Jae Kwon by falsely pretending that he had Mukula logs and authority from ZAFFICO to sell when in fact not.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

After the state concluded its case with four witnesses, Maviya was found with a case to answer and put on his defence.

When the matter came up for defence before Magistrate Chanda, Maviya told the court that while addressing party members in June last year, he was approached by two unknown men, a Zambian and a Chinese national.

Maviya said Kwon sought his audience alone and told him that he was doing a transaction with a man named Francis Kabwe and needed help with the said transaction, which he said he did not understand at the time.

He narrated that Kwon wanted him to act as a witness because he trusted him due to his status in society as a political figure but didn’t trust Kabwe, his initial business partner.

Maviya told the court that when he asked Kwon about the said transaction, he was told that he was dealing in timber and added that after they exchanged contacts, they never met until somewhere in November last year.

He said Kwon would call and send him text messages requesting that they visit a site and he (accused) would agree but not go there.

Maviya said a few days after the last call, he received a call from a police officer at service headquarters asking him to appear for interviews on a recent transaction he had done.

He told the court that he was asked whether he had met Kwon and did a transaction with him but he responded by saying that he met the man but did not do any transaction.

Maviya said he was later called at Matero Police station where officers asked him the same question and told him that his explanation was totally different from what the Chinese national had reported.

He said it became a trend that on a daily basis he would receive not less than two calls from the police station asking about the same matter which made him worried, being a politician in an aspiring position.

Maviya said he then went to Central police station because he wanted to put an end to the calls but to his surprise, he was detained around 20:00 hours the night before he was supposed to attend the nomination interviews and was later charged with the offence of obtaining money by false pretences.

He told the court that he was given a police bond, but added that he faced a lot of harassment.

Maviya further denied having given Kwon any land or Zaffico document or being given any money which is claimed to have been obtained by false pretences.

“I want to tell this court that I don’t remember a single day when I met the Chinese national or when I entered into a business agreement with him. I have never worked at Zaffico or have any transaction with them, and the ministry of land,” said Maviya.

The matter comes up on December 12 for a judgement.