Mzuzu Senior Resident Magistrate Court last Friday sentenced Manson Simbeye, 28, to three years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) for impersonating a public servant and illegally connecting electricity in Mzuzu City.

The court heard that in December 2022, Simbeye went to the house of Mwawi Kaima in Lupaso Township in the city where he presented himself as an Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) employee.

“My husband, who is in South Africa, told me that one Mr Kaonga will bring someone to connect electricity at our house. Indeed some days later, he (Mr Kaonga) came along with Simbeye who introduced himself as an ESCOM employee,” said Kaima.

Kaima said in the subsequent days, Simbeye brought a black wire cable, three treated poles similar to those used by ESCOM and started digging holes and erected the poles.

According to Police Prosecutor, Robert Chawinga, a team from ESCOM visited the scene after a tip from well-wishers. The matter was later reported to Luwinga Police Station.

Chawinga pleaded with the court for a stiffer penalty saying the convict’s action and his accomplice, a Mr Kaonga who is still on the run, would have put lives and property at risk.

Senior Resident Magistrate Gerald Nyirenda sentenced Simbeye to 12 months IHL for illegal connection and a fine of K300, 000 or in default serve 18 months imprisonment which will be served as a three year suspended sentence.

Simbeye hails from Phalapai Village in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Mwenewenya in Chitipa District.

Source:MANA