3 handed 4-year jail terms for kidnapping
The Blantyre Magistrate’s Court has sentenced three Malawians of Asian origin to four years imprisonment each for kidnapping a five-year-old boy, also of Asian descent.
The three, Lehrasib Khan, 25; Hamzar Akbar, 23 and Shazad Khan, 22, were arrested in December 2018 with three others, namely Fahim Azifer, 19; Shabir Aziz and Shaffir Waka who were acquitted by the same court last week for the offence of kidnapping Rahul Shail at Mpingwe in Blantyre City.
While sentencing the three, presiding chief resident magistrate Simeon Mdeza, who has been promoted to High Court Judge, also ordered that they be deported to their country of origin soon after completing their sentences.
In an interview yesterday, private practice lawyer Michael Goba Chipeta, who was part of the prosecution team, confirmed the sentencing of the three.
He said: “Yes, it is true that they have been sentenced to four years imprisonment, but in addition to that, the court has also ordered that they should be deported back to Pakistan.”
The offenders were charged with the offence of kidnapping, contrary to Section 263 of the Penal Code and in the alternative offence of child trafficking, contrary to Section 79 of the Child Care, Protection and Justice Act.
After the abduction, the accused demanded ransom of $4 million (about K3.1 billion) from the victims father Mohammed Shail, 34, who has a chain of businesses in Blantyre and Lilongwe.
The convicts abducted the child on December 11 2018 using a Toyota Fortuner registration DZ 5044 and dumped him at Kanjedza Mosque using a Volkswagen Polo registration CA 1658.
