The Monkey-bay Second Grade Magistrate court on Tuesday February 19, 2019 sentenced Haji Tambala(38) and his wife Memory Saidi(33) each to 3-years imprisonment with hard labour for stealing a 3-week-old baby.

Presenting facts in court , Monkey-bay Police Prosecutor Sub lnspector Elias Chitsulo narrated that, on the wee hours of February 2, 2019, mother to the victim who is also a widow left her 2 children asleep and went outside the house to relieve herself.

When she came back she was surprised to found her little baby missing from where he slept.

The helpless mother informed the community members and also reported the issue at Malembo Police Unit who spread the message around the area.

Chitsulo added that at dawn the same day, the accused persons boarded a minibus heading to Golomoti with the stolen baby at Symon village, a bushy area commonly known as Mtengo Ouma.

The accused were apprehended and handed over to the Police by passengers since many of them were from the area and had bought the news about the missing baby.

Appearing in court the wife pleaded guilty while her husband denied to have committed the crime and the state paraded three witnesses who testified against him.

Before the sentence,the couple pleaded with the court for lenient penalties however the prosecutor prayed for a custodial sentence.

When passing judgement his worship Second Grade Magistrate Mtunduwatha Mpasu concurred with the state hence the three years imprisonment for each the two to serve as a lesson to them and other would be offenders.

Haji Tambala hails from Tambala village in the area of traditional authority Kalonga in Salima while Memory Saidi comes from Msakambewa village in the area of traditional authority Ganya in Ntcheu.