Four-year abduction judgement irks Apam
Association of People with Albinism in Malawi (Apam) has bemoaned the four-year imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) sentence Mzuzu Magistrate’s Court handed to two men who attempted to abduct and murder a four-year-old child with albinism.
Apam president Boniface Massa said it was unfortunate that despite all the resources invested in training the Judiciary and police in handling such cases, little was being done to mete out stiffer punishments to convicts.
He said: “This shows that there is a communication gap between court officials and the ministry; after all the resources that we have invested.”
Massa said he expected a minimum sentence of at least 14 years IHL.
He said: “We will pick it from there because legally that was attempted murder.”
Lusungu Sele, 30, from Mkoko Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chindi and Jailosi Luwanda, 24, from Vakalani Village Senior Chief Mtwalo, both in Mzimba District, were charged with attempted abduction with intention to murder, contrary to Section 261 as read with Section 402 of the Penal Code.
Section 402 of the Penal Code says a person convicted of abduction with intention to murder as mentioned in Section 261 is liable to the punishment of death or imprisonment for a term of 14 years or more.
Through police prosecutor Lloyd Magweje, the court heard that Christopher Kumwenda, the boy’s step-father, was approached by Sele, enticing him to sell his son at K20 million (about $30 547).
The court also learnt that Sele linked up with Luwanda who stays in Mzuzu as the potential buyer.
Sele was arrested after being reported by a suspicious relative of the family when he visited the village to kidnap the boy .n
