Linda Kunje sentencing August 31

By Tiyese Monjeza

The Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Zomba has set August 31 as the date for sentencing of former Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) commissioner Linda Kunje and her former driver Jones Tewesa for criminal reckless and negligence.

Both the State and defence lawyers Tuesday made oral submissions before Chief Resident Magistrate (CRM) Austin Banda in the case where the two are accused of blocking President Lazarus Chakwera’s convoy.

Kunje’s lawyer, Christopher Masanje, prayed to the court to exercise mercy since Kunje was a first offender and that the State has failed to establish that Kunje had criminal intent.

Tewesa’s lawyer Timothy Chirwa also prayed to the court to hand a suspended sentence to Tewesa, who he said was caught between following the orders of his superiors and abiding by the law.

State prosecutor Levison Mangani has called for a custodial sentence, stressing that the convicts’ conduct was a serious offence which had the potential to lead to injury of those on the presidential convoy on that particular day.

Soon after setting the sentencing date, both defence lawyers applied for bail pending sentence, a proposal which was turned down.

Banda on August 19 convicted and revoked bail for the two.

Kunje is currently remanded at Mikuyu Prison and Tewesa is at Zomba Central Prison.