Two jailed for vandalizing Escom transformers

A court in Mangochi has sentenced two men to six years in jail each for vandalizing Escom transformers and cables at Namwera and Chiponde in the district.

The two have been identified as Steven Mulase, 20, and Lameck Robson, 35.

Police Prosecutor Emmanuel Kambwiri based at Namwera Police Post told the court that since 2015 Escom linesmen have been complaining about blackouts in some parts of Namwera and Chiponde and claimed that this was due to vandalised Escom underground cables and transformers.

Kambwiri said that on October 2, 2016 Police caught Robson red-handed vandalising a transformer in the area.

After being interrogated, he mentioned his accomplice Mulase and this led to the arrest of Mulase and recovery of some of the stolen items.

The value of the recovered items have been pegged at K300,000.

After being convicted on their own pleas of guilty, the two asked the court to give them suspended sentences as they promised not to commit this evil act again.

In his submission, second grade Magistrate Pearson Mwanyali expressed his concern over the convicts’ conduct saying that for laymen to be tampering with Escom property is risking their lives as the act may cause deaths or serious injuries.

The magistrate also observed that Escom loses a lot of money in replacing the vandalised equipment and that communities also suffer a lot more especially in their businesses because of excessive blackouts.

Mwanyali then sentenced the two to six years jail term to serve as a lesson to others.

Mulase comes from Ntaka village, Traditional Authority Mlombwe in Zomba while Robson hails from Mkumba village, Traditional Authority Bwananyambi in Mangochi.