Japanese Investor Urges Court to Impose Harsh Penalty on Former MP for Alleged Fraud*
Japanese investor Satoshi Sakamoto has urged the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court to impose a severe penalty on former Kasama Member of Parliament Kelvin Sampa, whom he accuses of fraudulently obtaining $80,000 by misrepresenting his political influence.
Testifying before the court, Sakamoto alleged that Sampa convinced him that he was a close associate of President Hakainde Hichilema and an influential political figure.
He claimed that this deception led him to trust Sampa, who introduced him to top government officials, including Health Minister Elijah Muchima, at a dinner event.
Sakamoto further stated that Sampa took him to a piece of land in Lusaka, where he saw a truck branded with the images of the President and Vice President.
According to Sakamoto, Sampa claimed the truck was a donation for the President’s election campaign and emphasized the importance of securing votes from the northern region, where Sampa allegedly held influence.
“I trusted him completely. He said he was the right-hand man of President Hakainde Hichilema,” Sakamoto told the court.
Sakamoto, 62, a shareholder in Diamond Oceans Limited in Tanzania, testified that he was introduced to Sampa through his business associate, Kunihiro Fukushima.
Fukushima allegedly informed him of an opportunity to purchase gold in Zambia, facilitated by Sampa, whom he described as a long-time friend.
Believing the deal to be legitimate, Sakamoto traveled from Japan to Tanzania, where he remained for three weeks before proceeding to Lusaka on August 28, 2024. He checked into Fallsway Villa, where he met Sampa that evening.
During their meeting, Sampa introduced Sakamoto to a gold seller and seven other individuals.
The seller allegedly demonstrated the authenticity of the gold by melting one of four bars in their possession.
Sakamoto was informed that the minimum purchase requirement was five kilograms of gold, valued at $300,000. Since he did not have the full amount, Sampa reportedly assured him that he would facilitate the remaining balance.
The following day, however, the transaction did not proceed as expected. Sakamoto testified that Sampa expressed concern for his safety, claiming that the gold seller’s associates were dangerous and might attempt to steal his money.
Trusting Sampa’s advice, Sakamoto handed over $80,000 to him for safekeeping.
Days passed without the transaction materializing. When Sakamoto requested his money back, Sampa initially claimed that the funds were in an FNB bank account, citing legal withdrawal limits of $15,000. However, Sakamoto never received the money.
After persistent follow-ups, Sampa eventually returned with a blue bag containing cash three days before Sakamoto’s visa expired.
However, when Sakamoto attempted to access the funds, he discovered that the safe’s key had been left behind. Later, his lawyer, Dickson Jere, informed him that Sampa and Fukushima had used a locksmith to access the safe in his absence.
He was later told that the money was counterfeit.
The trial continues.
