Court jails man 10 years for theft by servant

Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court has sentenced Bizwick Kamanga, 24, to 10 years imprisonment for stealing company property worth K6.5 million.

State prosecutor Sub Inspector Damiano Nyasulu told the court that Kamanga committed the offence between June 2021 and March 2022 at Tech International Factory, Njewa in Lilongwe where he was working as a security guard.

He further said the man stole from the company’s warehouse various property such as steel bars, electric wires, bags of red oxide and 10 genset batteries, among others.

In court, Kamanga pleaded not guilty to the offence, despite admitting the same during the recording of his caution statement at police. However, the State paraded four witnesses, including the convict’s wife who testified against her husband.

In mitigation, the convict prayed for leniency, saying he is a first offender and that he is a breadwinner for his family.

But in his submission, prosecutor Nyasulu asked the court for stiffer punishment, saying Kamanga breached the trust the employer had on him.

The State also said all the stolen property was not recovered; hence, a custodial sentence would be a just sentence.

In his ruling, principal resident magistrate Roderick Michongwe agreed with the State, saying offences being perpetrated by security guards in their workplaces have become rampant in Lilongwe.

He then sentenced Kamanga to 10 years imprisonment to serve as a deterrent to other would-be offenders.

The convict comes from Mambala Village, Traditional Authority Kabudula in the district.