A 20-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour for allegedly kidnapping and attempting to sell a 33-year old man at MK5 million.

The convict, Nowa Madson together with his friend Maxwell Mitawa, 23 on Tuesday wanted to sell Patrick Julio to Amitofo Care Centre in Limbe in the commercial city of Blantyre.

It is said that the two trickled the victim that they have found a job for him at Amitofo Care Centre where he would be paid K20, 000.00 (about US$32.25) monthly but he was surprised to discover that he was taken there to be sold.

During the hearing on Thursday, Madson pleaded guilty before Blantyre Senior Resident Magistrate Viva Nyimba and he was convicted.

In the mitigation, the convict pleaded for leniency, claiming he was the first offender but the Magistrate rebuffed the plea and slapped him with a 15-year jail term.

The convict hails from Solomoni village, T/A Mlolo in Nsanje.

Meanwhile the court will next week continue hearing the case of the second suspect, Maxwell Mitawa who pleaded not guilty to kidnapping charges leveled against him.