The First Grade Magistrate Court has sentenced Gerald Tawona 38  to 6 years imprisonment for stealing money amounting to over k3million from his employer in Limbe.

Sub Inspector Monica Muotchamanja has yesterday (Wednesday, June 16)  told the court that the convict committed the crime on November 2, 2020, in Limbe, Blantyre.

Muotchamanja further said Tawona was employed as a cook by Mr Muhammad Alli Salim, a Malawian of Asian origin.

She said on the particular day the convict was moping in the victim’s bedroom and came across a bag, opened it and took a bunch of US 4,000 and K800,000 cash all totaling to K4,320,000, and escaped.

Sub Inspector Muotchamanja added that, the matter was reported to Limbe police and that they carried out an investigation which led to the arrest of Tawona. He was later charged with theft by servant, an offence that contravenes Section 286 as read with Section 278 of the penal code.

Appearing in court, he denied that charge levelled against him, prompting the state prosecutor to parade 2 witnesses who testified against him and was later found guilty. He refused to say anything in mitigation.

Passing his judgment, First Grade Magistrate Tsoka Banda concurred with Muotchamanja and he therefore sentenced Tawona to 6 years imprisonment with hard labor to deter would-be-offenders.

Gerald Tawona hails from Milande village in the area of Traditional Authority Mthiramanja in Mulanje.