Friend seller jailed for 15 years
The Blantyre Magistrate’s Court on Thursday sentenced a 20-year-old Nowa Madi Elson for abducting and offering to sell his friend, Patrick Julio, at a price of K5 million.
According to Southern Region deputy police spokesperson, Widson Nhlane, Elson together with a 23-year-old Maxwell Mitawa went to Chiradzulu-based Amitofo Care Centre where they offered to sell 33-year-old Julio.
“Elson and Mitawa are said to have convinced the victim that they had found a job for him at the centre. When the two told Amitofo officials about the deal, the centre management tipped Criminal Investigation Development (CID) officers who rushed to the scene and arrested the suspects. The two were found with a school bag which they wanted to use in keeping money that would be realised from the deal.
“On September 10 they appeared in court before Senior Resident Magistrate Viva Nyimba and the first suspect (Elson) pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour while his accomplice (Mitawa) denied the charges and will appear again in court next week[this week] for further hearing,” Nhlane said.
Elson comes from Billiat Village Traditional Authority(T/A) Makwangwala in Ntcheu while Mitawa hails from Solomoni Village in the area of T/A Mlolo in Nsanje and Julio comes for Holla Village in T/A Makwangwala’s area in Ntcheu.
In another development, police in Blantyre on Friday arrested 42-year-old businessperson, Shanil Osman, of Mitawa Village in the area of T/A Likoswe in Chiradzulu for being found with fake 800 United States dollars.
Nhlane said Osman who was driving a RAVA4 registration number PE1769 when patrol officers arrested him is also wanted at Mikolongwe Police Station for fuelling at Nansadi filling station where he presented fake dollars.
“Osman also did the same at Mchinji filling station but ran away before fuelling the car. He will appear in court soon to answer the charge of fake dollars and later will be sent to other police stations for further prosecution,” he said.
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