The Dowa First Grade Magistrate’s Court has ordered a 30-year-old Congolese national to pay a fine of K50 000.00 or in default serve 2 months imprisonment with hard labor for operating business outside permitted hours contravening Covid-19 rules and regulations.

The court heard through the State Prosecutor Sergeant Joseph Banda that the convict, Edson Mariamungu, was arrested on the night of Tuesday, July 27 2021 at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa after he was found operating business outside permitted hours.

Appearing before the court, the convict pleaded guilty to a charge of operating a business outside permitted hours contravening Covid-19 rules and regulations.

In his submission, Sergeant Banda asked the court to pass a stiff punishment to the offender as a deterrent to other would-be offenders, who are contravening Covid-19 rules and regulations.

Passing his ruling, First Grade Magistrate Amran Phiri agreed with the state’s submission and sentenced the convict to pay a fine of K50 000.00 or in default serve 2 months imprisonment with hard labor.

The convict, Edson Mariamungu, from South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has since paid the fine.