Man gets ex-wife arrested for theft
By a Correspondent
A man has sued his former wife for allegedly stealing his personal documents and household property worth K7,500.
Rachel Nalungwe, a Nakonde-based businesswoman, was arrested for theft after she packed out of her matrimonial home following an argument.
Nalungwe is alleged to have stolen the property belonging to her former husband Jonathan Mukwasa on June 16 this year.
The court heard that the former couple had been together for three years and had a three-year-old child.
Although they divorced in December last year, they later reconciled and resumed living together in April this year.
“We stayed together for about six months before an argument on June 16 led to Nalungwe packing out of the house,” Mukwasa said.
Mukwasa, a clearing agent, told the court he was not at home when Nalungwe left.
“When I returned from work, Your Honour, I discovered that some of my personal documents and household property were missing. The documents included my Grade 12 certificate obtained from Kasama Boys School, a secondary teachers college diploma certificate, a Class B driver’s licence, a passport bearing my name and house documents bearing both our names [Nalungwe and Mukwasa],” he said.
Mukwasa said other household items stolen included a double mattress, plates, buckets, beams, a fruit stand and basins.
He said he reported the matter to police alleging that Nalungwe had stolen the property before she was arrested and charged.
During cross-examination, Nalungwe asked how Mukwasa could tell the court that she had stolen the items when they jointly owned them.
She told the court she took the items because she was chased from the house after a misunderstanding, an allegation he denied.
Mukwasa said the couple had quarrelled before she left.
He did not give her permission to carry anything from the house.
Mukwasa denied that she returned the property willingly.
Musukwa said the time he made the report, he did not know who had taken the property and was only suspecting Nalungwe because she had left the house.
Another state witness, a police officer Priscilla Mwaba said she investigated the case after Mukwasa reported that property valued at K7,500 together with his personal documents had been stolen by his former wife.
Mwaba said Nalungwe was already in police custody when she took over the case.
She told the court that during an interview, Nalungwe initially admitted taking the items following a marital dispute.
However, when she later gave a warn-and-caution statement, Nalungwe denied the charge.
The case was adjourned to tomorrow for ruling.
