A LUSAKA woman was yesterday sentenced to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour for obtaining more than K20 million on pretext that she was a secretary in the Office of the President (OP).

Kitwe magistrate Densen Muchaba jailed Chipo Tembo, 32, a business person of house number 1230 Kanyama Site and service in Lusaka who pleaded guilty to 20 counts of obtaining money by false pretences.

Tembo was sentenced to one and a half years imprisonment with hard labour on each of the 20 counts but that the sentences would run concurrently.

Facts of the case before court were that between July and August, this year, Tembo who was pretending to be a secretary in the OP approached different people to the effect that she was sent to recruit officers under the OP and asked them to pay K1.5 million each.

After Tembo collected the said money she promised all the 20 complainants that they should wait for October 17, 2009 to go for training in Lusaka.

After the promised period elapsed one of the complainants reported the matter to Wusakili Police station and that Tembo was later apprehended.

During warn and caution, Tembo admitted receiving the said money on pretext that she was authorised to do so by the OP.

In mitigation, she pleaded to the court for leniency and that she was an HIV/AIDS patient. She further said she was a first offender who deserved leniency.

In sentencing Tembo, Mr Muchaba said he had taken into account what Tembo had said in her mitigation and that he would be lenient with her.

He said it was however, sad that there was an increase in such cases in the district hence the need for courts to impose deterrent sentences to sound as a warning to would be offenders.

"I have heard what you have said in your mitigation and that you are a first offender who deserves lenience, I therefore, sentence you to one and half years imprisonment with hard labour," Mr Muchaba said.