TWO MEN 25YEAR in jail

Albino abductors get 25-year jail The first grade magistrate court in Dedza district has handed down a 25-year prison sentence to the two men who abducted Davis Fletcher Machinjiri last month.The convicts, Vuto Biswick and Emmanuel Robert on April 23 abducted Machinjiri with intent to traffic him to the Republic of Mozambique where he was later killed.CourtThe two were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit felony, trafficking in person, and abducting with intent to commit murder. They pleaded guilty on all three counts.However, state prosecutor Patrick Bean Chambuluka said the two still deserved a stiff sentence, arguing that a stiffer sentence always depends on the nature of the crime, circumstances of the offender, and public interest.Before passing sentence, first grade Magistrate Enete Jiya Banda showed the courtroom audience pictures of the mutilated body of 17 year-old Machinjiri.Cassim MandaManda: Says the sentence is a precedent in the fight against the attacks.Jiya Banda said what the convicts did is unwelcome to the society since a life was lost. She then sentenced them to 6 years imprisonment with hard labour on the first count of conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to section 404 of penal code, 12 years IHL on second count of abducting with intent to murder contrary to section 261 of penal code, sentences which the magistrate said should run concurrently.The two abductors were also sentenced to 13 years imprisonment with hard labour on third count of trafficking in person contrary to section 15 sub section (1) of Trafficking Act no 3 of 2015.The High Court has since given the sentences a go ahead.Meanwhile, Dedza police deputy publicist Cassim Manda has expressed satisfaction with the sentence.