 |
| Chile One in black shirt |
By Paul Shalala
The Kitwe
High Court has sent prominent Jerabo Commander Richard Chileshe, who is
popularly known as Chile One, to jail for five years after he lost his appeal
in his copper theft case.
Chile One,
who was convicted by the Kitwe Magistrate’s Court with two others in 2016,
appealed the five year sentence in the Kitwe High Court.
Jerabos are
illegal miners who have in the recent past been trabsformed into small scale
miners after their work was legalized by the Ministry of Mines.
Chile One
happens to be among the top few leaders known as commanders who own huge tipper
trucks and employ dozens of youths who work for them at the copper rich
dumpsite called Black Mountain in Kitwe.
With this
decision by the High Court, he is now a convict, serving a five year jail term
at the Kamfinsa Correctional Facility in Kitwe.
Chile One,
together with John Mapoma and Danny Ngosa, are alleged to have stolen 30 copper
blisters valued at K1.7 million, the property of Chambeshi Copper Smelter.
After being
stolen, the copper blisters were buried at Chile One’s garage.
After their
conviction in 2016, the three decided to appeal the matter in the Kitwe High
Court on four grounds.
However, on
Friday, Livingstone High Court Judge-In-Charge Chilombo Maka-Phiri sitting in
Kitwe, dismissed all the grounds of appeal.
Justice Phiri
said the appeal had no merit and she upheld the five year sentence slapped on
the three by the lower court.
She added
that the appellants would serve the five year sentence effective Friday.
After the
ruling, Chile One and Ngosa were immediately led to a holding cell, en route to
the Kamfinsa Correctional Facility.
The judge
later issued a bench warrant for Mapoma who wasn’t in the court room.
