Tout fined for biting driver, conductor

The Nanyumbu second grade magistrate court in Machinga has fined a minibus tout K80,000 for biting a minibus driver and his conductor.

The convict, Saidi Barnet aged 25, is reported to have assaulted the driver Abasi Adam Phiri and his conductor Kingston Kafotera.

Constable Sulumba said Prosecutor Constable Gift Kalamula based at Nselema Police Post told the court that on October 8, Phiri the minibus driver and his conductor Kafoteka were at Nselema bus stage waiting for customers to board their minibus.

Saidi approached the two while drunk and was holding a bottle of beer in his right hand and a bottle of Fanta in the other hand.

Saidi started asking the driver why he fired his first conductor and employed the new conductor. Abasi Adam did not respond but Saidi continued insulting the driver.

He then started pouring beer in the minibus and he even poured the beer on one of the passenger who had already boarded the minibus.

Abasi Adam was then furious with what Saidi did and he pushed him to the ground.

When Saidi got up he bit the driver on the chest and on the left hand finger. And after assaulting the driver Saidi also attacked the conductor by biting him on the left shoulder.

The driver then started his minibus and rushed to Nselema police where they reported the matter. Both victims were issued with hospital referral letters and suspect was arrested the same day.

He was charged with two counts of unlawful wounding and was later found guilty by the court.

In his submission, Kalamula asked the court to give a stiff sentence to the convict that would serve as a message to other touts who also have this behaviour of breaching other people’s peace in bus depots.

Second Grade Magistrate Maxwell Boazi ordered Saidi to pay fines of K45,000 and K35,000 for first and second counts respectively and in default to serve custodial sentence of 20 months.

The convict comes from Chaphuka village, Traditional Authority (TA) Bwananyambi in Mangochi district.