A 42-year-old woman identified as Rose Kwisongole has been fined K150, 000 for helping a suspect to escape to South Africa.

Machinga police publicist, Davie Sulumba said the woman had helped a suspect identified as Beston Chilima to jump bail and flee to South Africa.

By the time Chilima was leaving to South Africa he was on court bail on charges of theft by servant and it is said the woman was aware of this but she went on to help Chilima to escape without police`s knowledge.

Appearing before Machinga First Grade Magistrate Court, the woman pleaded guilty to the charge of aiding a suspect to escape which is contrary to section 117 of the penal code.

The prosecutor sergeant Boyce Kawonga asked the court to hand the woman a stiff punishment saying two sureties of the suspect who is at large had suffered a lot by paying a bond of K100, 000 each.

But the woman asked for leniency saying she is a woman who looks after her family and also that she committed the offence out of ignorance.

However Machinga First Grade Magistrate Jones Masula crushed her claims saying ignorance cannot be an excuse.

He then fined her K150, 000 in default to 12 months in prison with hard labour.

Rose Kwisongole hails from Nsamati village in the area of Traditional Authority Kalembo in Balaka.