A former police officer, Mathews Kalima, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of burglary charges in Chiradzulu, Malawi.

The district’s police spokesperson, constable Cosmas Kagulo, revealed that Kalima committed the offense earlier this year by breaking into a house and stealing household items valued at K662 thousand.

The stolen items included a plasma screen, two electronic irons, a solar panel, and two car batteries, among others. Kalima was arrested by the police shortly after the incident and was subsequently charged with burglary.

During the trial, Senior Resident Magistrate Andrew M’manga handed down the four-year sentence, which will run concurrently with another 36-month jail term for a previous theft offense committed by the accused.

M’manga said the sentence would serve as a warning to other would-be offenders and a reminder that no one is above the law.