ZAMBIA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=17418

Cancer centre theft: Suspects in court

October 20, 2012 | Filed under: Local News | Posted by: web editor

By CAROLINE KALOMBE
FIVE people recently arrested for allegedly stealing computers at the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka yesterday appeared in the Lusaka Magistrates Court charged with vandalism of public property valued at K1.4 trillion.
The five have been charged with one count of vandalism of public property necessary to provisions of necessary service contrary to section 341 (2) d of the penal code Amendment Act number 17 of 2007 chapter 8 of the Laws of Zambia.
The accused persons have been identified as Maxwell Mwale, Jeremiah Ntalasha, Emmanuel Silupumbwe, Steven Matoka and Evidence Chilufya.
Particulars of the offence are that on October 4, 2012 at Lusaka, the accused willfully or maliciously did destroy, damage and disable or in any way disrupt the functioning of public property namely Radiotherapy equipment and Computer Tomography (CT) scanner.
This was done by stealing the control station tower, four keyboards, three mice, modern work place tower cabling, laser printer, five flat screen monitors and a TCS tower.
The property is valued at K 1.454 trillion from the Cancer Diseases Hospital, property essential for or incidental to the provisions of cancer treatment, which is a necessary service.
The accused persons were earlier charged with espionage.
Any person charged with espionage and found guilty of the offence faces imprisonment of a period not less than 20 years but not exceeding 30 years.
However, the offence the five are now facing is more serious than espionage and will have to be committed to the High Court.
On October 4, thieves broke into the Cancer Diseases Hospital and stole a range of costly state-of-the art cancer treatment equipment.
The theft paralysed operations at the hospital as medical personnel could not attend to patients without computers, which held vital data.
Ms Kanjela said the suspects were charged with espionage after considering the gravity and consequences of the offence which risked the lives of many people.
She said police are, however, likely to gather more evidence because more people might be arrested in connection with the theft.
And Ms Kanjela said police have so far recovered most of the key equipment that was stolen and only two computer keyboards and mice have not been recovered.