ZAMBIA COURT FINED 7 MALAWIAN

ZAMBIAN COURT FINED SEVEN MALAWIANS The Zambian court has fined Malwians for smuggling maize meal The Zambian court showed no mercy to seven Malawians who had a tendency of stealing UFA wamphala Chipata Magistrate court in Zambia on Wednesday fined seven Malawians to pay ZK1,000 = MK70,000 each for trying to smuggle 1,150 bags of breakfast maize

The Zambian court in second count, magistrate Phiri fined Mathews Nkhosi and Isaac Njobvu, both from Mchinji district ZK1,000 (MK70,000) fine each or in default six months imprisonment with hard labour. The two were also arrested on April 19, 2016,jointly and whilst acting together did attempt to smuggle 413 bags of breakfast maize-meal from Chipata into Malawi using an Inveco truck registration number ALP 4304 and were apprehended by a Zambian National Service officer. Passing judgment, magistrate Phiri said the court had considered the mitigations of the seven convicts and that they were first offenders. He, however, said that to set as an example to would-be offenders, the court would fine the two K1,000 (Zambian Kwacha) each. He also said the court had approved the application by the state to forfeit the confiscated bags of maize-meal to the state. The magistrate, however, denied the application to forfeit the Inveco truck to the state as it could not be for one of the convicts. “I further urge owners of the truck to come with white books to claim their trucks back,” Magistrate Phiri said. Meanwhile, Nkhosi asked the court whether they could buy the confiscated maize-meal from the court at a cheaper price and resell at higher price to recover the loss which they had encountered. But magistrate Phiri said the law does not allow offenders to benefit from their own crime. “No it is not allowed by law that you can benefit from your own crimes. It’s like one kills the father so that he can benefit the property of his late father, it is not possible,” said magistrate Phiri.