The Balaka Third Grade Magistrate Court has sentenced a 37-year-old herbalist to pay a K90, 000.00 fine or in default serve 15 months imprisonment with hard labour for lying to bring back a child to life after death.
The court through state prosecutor Sub Inspector Mercy Chande heard that the convict Frazer Satha on June 20 2023 at Andiamo Location within Balaka Township by false pretence with intent to defraud Yamikani Tobias, obtained money amounting to K45, 000.00 by lying to him that his child (son) who died after drowning in a dam last year will be brought back to life.
State prosecutor Sub Inspector Chande further told the court that it was last year in August 2022 when the complainant’s son Chifundo aged 18 died after he drowned in a dam which is situated right in the complainant’s location.
After the deceased was buried, the complainant’s brother in-law invited a herbalist (accused person) from Ntcheu who claimed that he is capable of resurrecting dead people.
The accused person promised the complainant that he could do the same with his son who had died and the complainant promised the accused person that he will pay him an amount of K45, 000.00 of which he did but the deceased never resurrected after the accused performed his duty.
The matter was reported to police, leading to the arrest of the accused person.
Appearing before court, the accused person pleaded not guilty to a charge of fraud and that of false pretence which is contrary to Section 319 of the Penal Code. This prompted the state to parade three witnesses who testified against the case and the accused person was convicted accordingly.
In mitigation, the convict asked the court for leniency, saying he has a family to take care.
However, in his submission, state prosecutor Sub Inspector Chande pleaded with the court to mete out a stiffer sentence to the offender as a deterrent to other would-be offenders.
Passing sentence, Third Grade Magistrate Lucy Mukawa concurred with the state’s submission and ordered the convict to pay a fine of K90, 000.00 or in default serve 15 months imprisonment with hard labour as a warning to others with similar intentions.
The convict, who comes from Madzenje Village in Traditional Authority Kwataine in Ntcheu District, has since paid the fine.
