The Limbe Third Grade Magistrate’s Court  on June, 23, 2021, sentenced 45-year-old Dickson Mussa Jali to spend 24 months in prison for stealing money amounting to K900,000 from a primary school teacher.

The court, through Limbe Police Station Prosecution Officer, Assistant Superintendent Lloyd Kachotsa, heard that the offence took place in January, 2021 in Machinjiri, Blantyre.

According to Kachotsa, the victim obtained a loan from the bank in order to buy a plot. The plot was found in Machinjiri, and the convict posed himself as the rightful owner and sold it to the victim at K900,000 which was paid in four instalments.

When time came to develop the land, the victim was surprised to discover that the plot belonged to someone else not even related to the convict who was at large by then.

This prompted him to report the matter at Limbe police, and after investigations, he was later arrested and charged with obtaining money by false pretenses which contravenes Section 318 as read with Section 319(1) of the Penal code.

In court, he admitted to the charge levelled against him. He, however, pleaded with the court for leniency, saying he is the breadwinner in his family.

Assistant Superintendent Kachotsa, on the other hand, prayed for a stiffer sentence saying the offence is serious and that the victim suffered a loss as the stolen money was not recovered.

In her sentence, Third Grade Magistrate Chrissy Kachingwe concurred with the state prosecutor and sentenced Mussa Jali to 24 months imprisonment with hard labour.

Mussa Jali comes from Khwakhwala village in Traditional Authority Nsamala in Balaka.