National News

Convicted Mzuzu police officer gets relief

 

The High Court in Mzuzu has quashed a lower court’s decision to give maximum custodial sentences to a Malawi Police Mobile Service D Company officer-in-charge (OC) for Mzuzu, Leonard Ntokoma.

Ntokoma was convicted in September this year of two counts of aiding illegal entry and abuse of office after being arrested in 2014 alongside Tionge Nyirenda and Ernest Issa who were also convicted.

Ntokoma and the other convicts aided entry of 24 Ethiopians using a police vehicle from Karonga to Raiply in Mzimba.

Ghambi: They were first offenders
Ghambi: They were first offenders

In October, principal resident magistrate Gladys Gondwe gave custodial sentences of two years and 12 months for abuse of office and aiding illegal entry respectively.

She rejected the option of fines saying the crime Ntokoma committed was grave.

However, the convicts through lawyer Christon Ghambi appealed for the High Court where judge Dingiswayo Madise gave the option of K50 000 fine each for aiding illegal entry.

The judge also reduced the abuse office sentence resulting into the officer released as he had already served the period the High Court ordered.

Ghambi said in an interview his clients did not deserve maximum custodial sentences as they were first offenders.

He said Ntokoma also lost his job and other benefits which was enough punishment. n

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2 Comments

  1. It’s called Judge shopping. And Madise is very corrupt. With Madise around justice will never be there.

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