Lilongwe First Grade Magistrate’s Court has sentenced Isaac Duncan to seven years imprisonment with hard labour for impersonating an Escom employee and stealing meters.

The court delivered the judgement on Friday May 12 2023 when it punished Duncan to three years for theft and four years for impersonation. The sentences will run concurrently with effect from May 5 2023.

The 30-year-old Duncan hails originally from Masaula Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mlumbe in Zomba.

Chinsapo Police Unit in Lilongwe arrested Duncan for stealing money from customers on the pretext that he an Escom employee and that he would facilitate electricity connections while in the process championing meter bypasses.

Duncan stole a meter from Andrew Dzonzi of Kapinga Village, T/A Masula in Lilongwe on April 26 2023 and exchanged it with another he collected from another customer in Balaka.

The convict is also expected to answer more charges of illegal connections and tampering with meters, contrary to Section 45 sub-section 2a of the Electricity Act.