Chingola Council employee nabbed for land scam

POLICE in Chingola have arrested Chingola Municipal Council employee for illegally issuing land to more than one person and forging the Town Clerk’s date stamp and signature to support his illegality. Both police and Chingola Town Clerk George Mulenga confirmed the incidence to Times of Zambia yesterday. Copperbelt police chief Mary Tembo named the suspect as Jonathan Chanda, a clerical officer in administration department at Chingola Municipal Council. Ms Tembo said Chanda sold a piece of land in Chingola East to a named teacher of Chingola High School. She said after the named teacher had started developing the land, another person emerged claiming for the same piece of land as he also had legal documentation. “It was at this point that the two claimants went to the Town Clerk for clarifications. After careful scrutiny it was discovered that the Town Clerk’s Date stamp and signature had been forged,” she said Ms Tembo said Chanda was then reported to police for selling one piece of land to more than one person and uttering and forging documents. She said Chand would appear in court soon to face the charges of obtaining money by false pretense and forging and uttering false documents. And Chingola Town Clerk said there had been land misuse at his council and overlooking of procedure in acquiring land. Mr Mulenga said when he was taking over office he warned the council employees that he would not tolerate illegality at the council. He said some employees had acquired land unscrupulously in order to enrich themselves. Mr Mulenga warned his employees that whoever would be found wanting, his office would not hesitate to surrender such ones to police for prosecution.