10 years for stealing Escom property

Neno Second Grade Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) for vandalising Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) property.

Sunganani Chimaliro, 34, from Munlo Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Kapeni in Blantyre, was arrested early this month for stealing 30 angle irons used as tower members that carry Escom lines to Balaka, Dedza, Liwonde, Ntcheu, Machinga, Mangochi and part of Lilongwe.

He denied the charges but was found guilty after trial.

Neno Police Station spokesperson Raphael Kaliati said in a telephone yesterday second grade magistrate Daniel Dzowela gave the stiff punishment to deter would be offenders.

“The magistrate said 10 years IHL is the maximum sentence one gets for such as offence and he decided to give it because of the level of damage and consequences the crime caused. He said a lot of people are facing blackouts because of what Chimaliro did,” said Kaliati.

Escom public relations officer George Mituka expressed satisfaction with the sentence. n