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The courtroom was abuzz as fresh details emerged in the alleged fraud case against former Kasama Member of Parliament, Kelvin Sampa, with Detective Inspector Peter Phiri testifying that Sampa had expressed shock upon discovering that the genuine US$150,000 he had stored in a safe had somehow turned into counterfeit bills.
Phiri, a seasoned fraud and financial investigator, told Lusaka Magistrate Ireen Wishimanga that Sampa’s alleged scheme was exposed after Japanese investors, Satoshi Sakamoto and Kunihiro Fugishima, reported being swindled in a failed gold deal.
According to Phiri, Sakamoto and Fugishima traveled from Japan to Zambia via Tanzania, declaring their funds upon entry.
They were later taken to Fallsway Apartments, where Sampa and his associates demonstrated what appeared to be refined gold.
Convinced the deal was legitimate, the investors handed over their money after Sampa offered to store it safely, citing security concerns.
However, the next day, Sampa became unreachable, and the investors never received either the gold or their money.
In a surprising twist, Sampa later approached the police in October 2024, claiming he had been swindled himself.
He alleged that a man known only as “Mr. Omar” had taken the keys to the safe and disappeared.
When Phiri met Sampa at the Anti-Fraud Office, the former MP admitted to receiving the $150,000 but insisted he had no idea how genuine notes had turned counterfeit.
Upon inspecting Sampa’s black and silver safe, investigators found neatly stacked bundles of what initially appeared to be US dollar notes.
However, closer examination revealed an elaborate scam: Each bundle contained only a genuine $100 bill on the top and bottom, while the middle was filled with carefully cut green paper resembling currency.
In total, 98 fake $100 bills, 11 notes without serial numbers, and 7,635 paper cuttings mimicking real cash were discovered.
The safe and its contents were sent to the Bank of Zambia for authentication, where security officer Rogers Chisulo confirmed that all 110 bills were fake.
When confronted, Sampa maintained his innocence but failed to explain how the swap had occurred.
He later opted to remain silent when given the chance to provide further statements.
Sampa has been formally charged with: Two counts of obtaining money by false pretenses and one count of possessing counterfeit notes and forgery materials
Detective Phiri also revealed that Sampa had been implicated in a similar fraud case involving a Nigerian national, raising further suspicion of a pattern of fraudulent activities.
During a search of Sampa’s residence, police did not find additional counterfeit money but did seize a firearm, which was handed over for further investigation.
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