Wandale to appeal against conviction

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Vincent Wandale

The leader of People’s Land Organization (PLO) in Mulanje and Thyolo districts Vincent Wandale has disclosed plans to appeal against his suspended sentence.

On Tuesday, the Blantyre senior resident court gave Wandale a suspended sentence of 18 month on three charges leveled against him.

Vincent Wandale
Vincent Wandale: Will appeal against conviction.

Senior resident magistrate Thokozani Soko ordered that Wandale should enter into court bond of K100,000 and produce three sureties in court. Wandale presented his brother, cousin, and brother in-law as sureties.

Reacting to the ruling, defence lawyer Michael Goba Chipeta argued that the sentence had errors hence the decision to appeal to the high court.

Chipeta added that the state lacked evidence that Wandale committed offenses of misdemeanor, unauthorised use of land, and criminal trespass.

“On the first count, the particulars did not specify the misdemeanor, on the second count of unlawful use of land, they did not prove use of land because people were there for only five hours and later dispersed so what is the use, on the third count, criminal trespass to annoy owners, actually they entered on the land to share it not annoy so these are some of the reasons we want the high court to look into,” said Chipeta.

As conditions for his suspended sentence, Wandale has been told not to commit any crime, not to aid a similar crime he has been convicted for, and that he should not be seen at the estates without the consent of owners.

Wandale was arrested two months ago for mobilizing locals from Mulanje and Thyolo to share land that belongs to Conforzi tea estate in Thyolo.

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