Two Malawians jailed in Zambia for claiming they can raise the dead

Advertisement
Mchinji

A court in Zambia has sentenced two Malawians to three years in jail each for conning several people in the country.

The pair are said to have obtained 54,500 Zambian Kwacha by false pretence.

The two, Byson Phiri, 33, and Madalitso Mbewe, 29, were charged with five counts of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to the laws of Zambia.

crime (2)The Chipata Magistrate court last week heard that the convicts, while acting together with another person not known to the court, between January 16 and February 11 this year obtained the cash from five people under the pretext that they were going to raise people from the dead.

Magistrate Mercy Chabu said she was satisfied that the state had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted the duo according to Zambian laws.

In mitigation the pair asked the court to exercise maximum lenience on them as they both have children who will need their presence.

In delivering her judgement, Magistrate Chabu said she had considered what the duo said in mitigation but that she was going to give them a stiffer punishment to deter would be offenders.

She then sentenced the two to three years imprisonment with hard labour each.