At least four people in Dowa District have been fined K100,000 each or to serve three months imprisonment for buying farm produce from farmers without a license and failing to adhere to government set prices.

Police Prosecutor Benedict Mathambo told a court in the district that the convicts; Malizani Nsundwe, 37, Thoko Kazonga, 35, Harold Lilanje, 40, and Samuel Tembo, 34, committed the offence on May 3, 2021 at Siyasiya and Njati Trading Centres respectively, when they were found buying the produce.

During court proceedings, the four pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against them.

Passing sentence, Third Grade Magistrate Charity Simwaka ordered the four to pay a fine of K70,000 each for the first count of buying farm produce without a license and K30,000 each for the second count of failing to comply with an order from government on price control, totalling K100,000 for each offender.