a Lusaka High Court has sentenced a Zambia National Service (ZNS) official

a Lusaka High Court has sentenced a Zambia National Service (ZNS) official and two other men to death for staging an armed robbery involving three firearms including two AK 47 rifles in 2000 at a ZESCO Roma sub-station in Lusaka where they murdered two other ZNS officials. 
Mr Justice Philip Musonda pronounced the death sentence on Churchill Malama, 32, a staff sergeant who was convicted jointly with Sydney Bwalya, 27, and Dickson Mwanza, 25, for armed robbery and two counts of murder.
After going through the evidence on record Mr Justice Musonda said he was satisfied beyond doubt that the trio was behind the robbery of one pistol and two sub machine guns with 17 rounds of ammunition valued at more than K2 million, property of the Zambian Government after killing two ZNS officials Morgan Nondo and Richard Mwanza on December 31 2000.
In passing sentence, Mr Justice Musonda said despite the mitigatory factors pleading for leniency and considering that the trio were in their prime age, he was compelled to mete out the maximum sentence in accordance with the law.
The court also noted that the wives of the deceased officials who died while on duty were widowed and their children orphaned due to the brutal action of the trio.
Mr Justice Musonda said there was no doubt that Malama was conspirator in the crime as there was evidence that the attackers had a pistol prior to the robbery then they also got two sub-machine guns from the officials who they later shot repeatedly.
There was evidence on record that Malama was the one who led police officers to Kabwe where Mwanza was apprehended with a bag containing the firearms in issue .
In the same court, Mr Justice Musonda also sentenced a soldier George Funashi and Lisheko Lubinda to death for staging an armed robbery at Pete's Steak House where they stole more than K8 million and a cellular phone worth K250,000 on August 16, 2003. In passing sentence Mr Justice Musonda said it appears that men in uniform were misapplying their military skills by brutalising innocent citizens and he gave them the right to appeal to the Supreme Court against his sentences.