Chinsali High Court jails boy for motorbike theft

Chinsali High Court jails boy for motorbike theft

By a Correspondent

THE Chinsali High Court has sentenced a 19-year-old juvenile to five years imprisonment with hard labour for stealing a motorbike valued at K62,800 before selling it to his landlord for K8000.

A Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking satellite helped police uncover a cross-province motorbike theft syndicate, resulting in the arrest, prosecution, and jailing of the 19-year-old man by the Chinsali High Court.

The convict, Joseph Yumba of Mukando Village in Serenje District, Central Province, stole a motorbike valued at K62,800 from Lavushimanda District in Muchinga Province and later sold it to his landlord for just K8,000.

Passing the sentence, High Court Judge Justice Willy Sinyangwe ruled that the court would be failing in its duty if it allowed Yumba to go unpunished

Justice Sinyangwe said motorbike theft crimes were a growing concern and therefore a stiffer punishment was needed to deter would-be offenders.

“…particularly in view of the growing number of motorbike theft cases across the country. A stiffer punishment is needed to deter would-be offenders,” he said.

He expressed surprise that a motorbike worth K62,800 could be sold at a low price.

“I am shocked that such an expensive motorbike can be sold at such a low price. This transaction alone is a clear red flag that something is fishy and should have alerted any reasonable person that the property was stolen,” he said.

Justice Sinyangwe further observed that many young people had lost their lives at the hands of people involved in motorbike thefts, often in violent circumstances.

“It is fortunate that in the present case no life was lost, but such offences frequently end in deaths,” he said.

He said he would send Yumba to prison because it was necessary not only as punishment but also as a deterrent measure to other would-be offenders.

The court heard that the stolen motorbike was fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS), a satellite-based technology that enables the real-time tracking of an object’s location.

When the owner, Wetu Mwanza of Lavushimanda, returned from Katete District in Eastern Province on July 30, 2025, he discovered that his motorbike was missing and reported the case to the police.

Using GPS data, police tracked the motorbike from Muchinga Province to Serenje District in Central Province, where it was recovered.

The motorbike was stolen on an unknown date, but between July 9 and July 31, 2025, while Mwanza was away.

Investigations revealed that Yumba, who was a tenant, sold the stolen motorbike to his landlord, Justin Moses Musuka, for K8,000.

Both men were arrested and charged.

Yumba pleaded guilty to the charge of theft, while Musuka denied the allegation and opted to stand trial.

In mitigation, Yumba told the court that he was remorseful and had reflected on his actions during the eight months he spent in custody, saying he was now ready to contribute positively to society.

However, Justice Sinyangwe ruled that the seriousness of the offence and the need to protect the public outweighed the mitigation advanced.