Green Farmers Director Gets 2 Years For Theft

THE Chipata Magistrates’ Court has jailed a Green Farmers Suppliers director for swindling over 1,000 farmers out of K73,811 on the pretext that he would provide them with inputs.

Greyson Phiri, who appeared before magistrate Philip Mpundu, was charged with theft. In mitigation, Phiri said he had already apologised to the affected farmers and that he was looking after two orphans and his mother.

Phiri said no one could look after his mother apart from him because he was the first born and his father died a long time ago. Magistrate Mpundu said he had considered Phiri’s mitigation but noted that the convict did not show any remorse from the time the case started. He said cases of farmers being swindled were rampant in Chipata and sentenced Phiri to two years imprisonment with hard labour to act as a deterrent.

Magistrate Mpundu said a Spacio that was confiscated from Phiri by police would be auctioned and the money given to the affected farmers. Earlier in his defence, Phiri confessed that 1,000 farmers paid a membership fee of K60 each to his company. He said for the first farmers he registered, he deposited the money in his INDO Bank account but that he later transferred the money in the company’s account when it was opened.

Phiri said he was reported to police while he was processing the inputs for the farmers. He said the police got his company’ documents and the farmers were later called by police and agreed that they should be refunded.

“From there, we went to the bank and withdrew K48,000 which was given to the farmers but I pledged that I would look for the remaining money and give it to those that were not refunded. I was shocked that after this, the police decided to bring this case to court,” said Phiri who denied buying a vehicle from the money that he got from the farmers between October 30 and December 5, 2016.