The Blantyre Chief Resident Magistrate Court on Tuesday jailed a 30-year-old Mozambican national for stealing items worth K3.5 million.
According to the city’s police publicist Inspector Augustus Nkhwazi, the convict has been identified as Ganizani Jonas.
Nkhwazi said the court heard through Police prosecutor Sub – Inspector Justice Manolo of Blantyre Police that Jonas was employed as a gardener at the house of Henry Duncan Phoya at Sunny Side in Blantyre.
During the month of November 2017, Jonas stole various items from his employer and was arrested on March 24 at his workplace.
It is reported that among the stolen property include: 8 new Mercedes Benz motor vehicle rims, 4 new Mercedes Benz rims with tyres, 4 garden chairs, one wooden bed and several gardening and motor vehicle parts valued at MK3,500,000.
Appearing before Senior Resident Magistrate Viva Nyimba on 10th April after going through a full trial, Jonas was found guilty.
In his submissions, the state prosecutor pleaded with the court to pass a stiff punishment to the accused on grounds that the offence Jonas committed was a felony which attracts a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment with hard labour.
The court was also asked to consider that such cases are common in Blantyre and the country at large and that the accused had prepared well to commit such an offence beforehand.
In his ruling, Nyimba sentenced Ganizani Jonas to seven years imprisonment with hard labour saying this should serve as a warning to other would be offenders.
Jonas hails from Mandala village in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Dulani in Mangwe district Mozambique.
