Ex-nun, sister jailed for scamming victims in K200,000 scheme

A former Catholic nun and her civil servant sister have been sentenced to six months in prison for fraud after swindling over K200,000 through deception.

Patricia Chanda, 45, and her elder sister Irene Chanda, 54, reportedly convinced multiple individuals to lend them large sums of money by falsely claiming they had secured a contract with the Catholic Church to supply school uniforms.

The duo allegedly told their victims that they needed urgent funds to clear materials stuck at the border.

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To make their story credible, they leveraged Patricia’s former status as a Catholic nun, exploiting the church’s reputation for trustworthiness.

Several individuals, including Mercy Makwirimba (K87,000), Ingabire Michele (K75,000), and Paul Chishiba (K50,000), handed over money believing they were investing in a legitimate business.

However, when repayment deadlines passed, suspicions grew.

During the trial, Emma Banda, the Superior General of the Handmaid Sisters of the Virgin Mary, testified that Patricia had left the convent in February 2022 and was no longer a nun.

She further confirmed that the Catholic Church had never awarded any uniform contract to the sisters.

In her defense, Irene Chanda admitted to borrowing money but claimed she had been running an onion business that later collapsed.

She insisted she intended to repay the debts but was overwhelmed by interest rates and financial troubles.

Lusaka Resident Magistrate Trevor Kasanda, ruling that the sisters knowingly misled their creditors, sentenced them to six months’ imprisonment with simple labor in each of the three counts.

The sentences will run concurrently.

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