MUBAS student arrested for theft of laptop in Chitawira

Police in Blantyre are keeping in custody Lawrant Mbewe, a student at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) for allegedly entering into a dwelling house where he stole a laptop computer.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency on Wednesday, Blantyre Police Public Relations Officer, Sub-Inspector Peter Mchiza said on March 28, 2022 at around 10:00 hours, Mbewe entered into a room of his fellow student Khwima Kayira who stays at Chitawira while the owner was away.
Mchiza said the suspect stole a laptop computer valued at K250,000 and sold it the same day at Blantyre Flea Market.
“The matter was reported to Soche Police and enquiries were instituted. The Investigations led to the arrest and successful recovery of the said stolen laptop,” he said
Mchiza said the suspect will be taken to court soon to answer charges of entering into a dwelling house and committing a felony which is contrary to Section 309 of the Penal Code.
Meanwhile, Police is appreciating the good working relationship with the public which is leading to effecting more arrests of criminals and recovery of stolen property.
Mbewe hails from Jimu Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mlonyeni in Mchinji District.
 

Sex worker found dead at a rest house in Mchinji

A 29- year-old sex worker, Veronica Solomoni, was found dead in her room at Gazebo Bottle Store in Mchinji on Thursday.

Solomoni went missing from January 5, 2022 until she was found in her room on Thursday, January 13, 2022, in a decomposed state,

Mchinji Police Station Officer, Charles Mpezeni, told Malawi News Agency (MANA) that Solomoni was working at Gazebo Bottle Store at Mchinji Trading Centre where she had her room to service men.

“Solomoni was last seen on 5th January and her co-workers thought she had travelled, but on 13th January, they discovered [that] a strong smell was coming from her room, and her body was found in a decomposed state.

“Beside her body was a screw driver and bed sheet was wrapped on her head. A postmortem done at Mchinji District Hospital revealed that Solomoni died due to suffocation secondary to wrapping of head with clothes,” Mpezeni explained.

He said the police suspect foul play and have since launched investigations.

Solomon hailed from Dama Village in Traditional Authority Dambe in Mchinji District.

Gule Wamkulu cult member arrested for sodomy

An 18-year-old boy has been arrested in Ntchisi District for allegedly sodomising a 10-year-old boy at a Gule Wamkulu initiation camp within the district.

Ntchisi Police Spokesperson, Sergeant Yohane Tasowana said the suspect, who he identified as Brino Daniel, is accused of sodomising the boy in August this year at the initiation camp at Chindewe Village in the district.

The boy did not disclose the ordeal to anyone as the suspect threatened to kill him if he did.

“It is alleged that Daniel took the boy from a place he was playing with a friend within the camp to a hidden place where he had carnal knowledge of him and promised to give him K200, which he did not,” said Tasowana.

He said the victim’s step father, upon noticing that his step son was having difficulties in walking, confronted him on October 29 this year when he revealed about the ordeal.

After checking him, he reportedly discovered that his anus was swollen.

Medical examination indicated that the victim had been infected with syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease.

Daniel, who hails from Chidaye Village in Traditional Authority Kalumo in the district, has since been charged with sodomy and will be appearing in court soon.

Man slapped 50 years for defiling stepdaughter

Zomba High Court has sentenced Mustafa Yunus, 31, to 50 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling his  9 years step daughter (name withheld).

According to the State prosecutor sub inspector Ezekiel Kalunga of Jali police station post that on 6th July, 2021, the victim was sent to  a certain market within the area to sale doughnuts and it was after few minutes later when she come back home to drink water.

While there she met her stepfather who dragged her inside house where she was defiled and threatened not to reveal it to anybody

“Later on her grandmother noticed some blood which was coming from her private parts and took her to Zomba central hospital where she revealed the issue to the doctor” said Kalunga.

The matter was then reported to Jali police station and the accused was arrested.

Appearing before court, Yunus pleaded not guilty to the charge levelled against him.
This prompted the state to parade four witnesses who testified against him to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

In his submission, Kalunga pleaded with the court for stiff sentence saying the accused had a responsibility to look after the victim, but chose to violate his responsibility,.
She added that defilement cases are becoming rampant in the country and offenders deserved hard punishment.
Passing the sentence, Justice Nzondi Mvula concurred with the state about the seriousness of offence and slapped Yunus with a 50 years jail term.
Yunus comes from Mapila Village, traditional Authority Mwambo in Zomba.

Man killed on railway line in Mwanza

A man identified as Chilembwe James 27 has been killed by a train registration number K543 which was traveling from Nayuchi (Malawi Mozambique border) going to Moatize in Mozambique at 8 O'clock in the morning of Friday.
A security escort team leader of G4S Wesley Phambala has told Malawi News Agency (Mana) that he saw the deceased seated with a friend on the railway line some metres ahead of the train which was traveling at 70 kilometres per hour.

"When train operator blew horn for warning the friend managed to ran away while James remained at the place of the accident," said Phambala.

When police from Mwanza station visited the scene of the accident they ordered relatives to carry home the remains of James which were in pieces to his home village for burial.

Chilembwe James was coming from Mofati village in Group Village Head Mulongolora in the area of traditional authority (TA) Inkosi Kanduku Maseko in Mwanza district.

Woman fined K200,000 over Chamba in Thyolo

Thyolo Third Grade Magistrate's court yesterday August 11 2021 ordered Dorica Mawindo, 28, to pay a fine of K 200,000 for being found in possession of Indian Hemp locally known as Chamba.

The offence is contrary to Regulation 19 (1) as read with Section 4 (a) of the Dangerous Drug Act.

During court proceedings, Thyolo Police Station Prosecution Assistant Superintendent  Andrew Jose told the court that on 9 August 2021 at around 0800 hours, Thyolo Police Officer arrested Mawindo at an Ad-hoc Roadblock at Conforzi Turnoff.

She was found possessing four black plastic bags of   Cannabis sativa in a Minibus which was coming from Limbe heading towards Thyolo Boma.

Jose further told the court that the hemp was seized as evidence and was taken to Bvumbwe Research Station for examination and  analysis where results indicated that the illicit drug weighed 9 Kilograms and contained Tetrahydrocannabinal to substance.

Appearing in court,the accused pleaded guilty to the charge leveled against her.

In mitigation, Mawindo asked for the Court's leniency, saying that she has a baby and was still breastfeeding but Prosecutor Jose asked the court for stiffer penalty citing that the illicit drug has contributed a lot of side effects especially to the youths in the country.

Third Grade Magistrate James Balakasi concurred with the state's call for stiffer penalty and he ordered the accused to pay a fine of k200,000 or  in default serve 12 months imprisonment with hard labour.

Meanwhile, Mawindo has paid the fine to escape the Jail term.

Mawindo hails from Nanseta Village Traditional Authority Nanseta,in Thyolo District.

Man fined K200,000 over Marijuana in Lumbadzi

The Senior Resident Magistrate's Court sitting at Mkukula has ordered Mabvuto Chuma, 47, to pay a fine of K200,000 for being found in possession of Indian Hemp contrary to Regulation 19(1) as read with Section 4(a) of the Dangerous Drug Act.

During court proceedings, Lumbadzi Police Station Prosecution Officer, Inspector Bodwin Msukwa told the court that on 4 August, 2021 at around 02 oclock Lumbadzi Police officers arrested Chuma at Chinkhuti Adhoc roadblock along Lilongwe - Kasungu M1 road for being found in possession of three big sucker bags, one travelling bag and eleven small black jumbos of Cannabis Sativa in a Suzuki Sorio motor vehicle registration number BZ 6062 he was driving.

Msukwa further told the court that the hemp was seized as evidence and was taken to Chitedze Research Station for Cannabis examination and analysis where results indicated that the illicit drug weighed 120 Kilograms and contained Tetrahydrocanabinal.

Appearing in court, the accused pleaded guilty to the charge leveled against him.

In mitigation, Chuma asked for court's leniency, saying that he is a breadwinner for his family but Prosecutor Msukwa asked the court for stiffer penalty citing that the illicit drug has contributed alot of side effects especially to the youths in the country.

Senior Resident Magistrate Cecelia Onsewa concurred with the state's call for a stiff penalty and she ordered the accused to pay a fine of K200,000.

Meanwhile, Chuma has paid the fine to escape the jail term.

Chuma hails from Malenga 2 village, Traditional Authority Kalumo in Ntchisi.

Woman killed, mutilated in Mzimba

Police in Mzimba are hunting for unknown criminals who have murdered a woman, removed her right breast, right hand and shaved hair on the right side of her head at Yotamu Ng'oma Village at Manyamula in the district.

Confirming the development, deputy spokesperson for Mzimba Police, Sub Inspector, John Nyirongo said the body of the deceased was found by a herdsman, Kenani Ng'oma on Saturday.

"Ng'oma saw many house flies and later saw dead body. He reported the matter to Police who in company of medical personnel visited the scene," he said.

Nyirongo added that the law enforcers and medical staff found her body half buried and hidden with dry storks of maize.

"It was discovered that her right breast and right hand were chopped off. Her head was shaved at the right side,” he said.

According to Nyirongo, postmortem results indicated that the woman died due to severe bleeding.

He said the Police are investigating the matter to establish the details of the woman and that once arrested, the assailants are expected to answer murder charges, which is contrary to Section 209 of the Penal Code.

Standard 2 pupil commits suicide in Ntcheu

A teenager was found hanging dead in a tree at Senzani Village in the area of Sub Traditional Authority Tsikulamowa in Ntcheu.

The police have identified the deceased person as Chimwemwe Khwinda, aged 14 years old.

Confirming the development, Ntcheu Police Station Public Relations Officer (PRO), Inspector Hastings Chigalu, said the boy, who was a standard 2 learner at one of the primary schools in the area on Tuesday morning left home for school.

Chigalu said it was alleged that the boy was reluctant to go and attend classes on this fateful day. 

"Looking as if he had taken heed of his mother's advice, the boy left home as if he was going to school, but it was shocking to discover his body hanging in a tree a short distance away from his school at around 10:00 hours," said Chigalu.

Postmortem conducted at Manjawira Health Centre revealed that death was due to suffocation secondary to strangulation.

The deceased, Chimwemwe Khwinda, hailed from Lunguzi Village in Sub-Traditional Authority Tsikulamowa in the district. 

Chigalu disclosed that the district has registered nine suicide cases from January to June this year compared to two which were registered in the responding period in 2020.

He further highlighted that most suicide victims do not share problems with others for help, hence they end up taking their own lives.

Meanwhile, police in the district are advising people to share their problems with others for a better solution rather than resorting to taking their own life. 

Man commits suicide over land disputes

A 44-year-old man in Dowa has committed suicide by hanging himself to a tree over disagreements on land issues.

The man, Mackson Dickson from Chatsunda Village in the area of Traditional Authority Kayembe in the district, had a  long outstanding and unresolved dispute over a piece of farm land with people of Mdewa Village.

According to Mponela Police Station Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Mcpatson Msadala, Dickson, claimed that the land belonged to his brother who was in Mchinji while people of Mdewa Village claim it was their land.  

Msadala further said on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, Dickson went and cut down a tree in the disputed farmland, but this did not please people of Mdewa who, in reaction, reported the matter to Chatsunda Village Headman.

The village headman set July 12, 2021 as the date for hearing of the case, however in the morning hours of the date Dickson was found dead.

The matter was then reported to Mbingwa Police Unit where Criminal Investigation Department (CID) police officers and medical personnel visited the scene. Postmortem conducted revealed that death was due to suffocation secondary to strangulation.