A court in Mangochi has sentenced a Mozambican national to seven years in jail for stealing motorcycles belonging to his brother in-law and father in-law.
The convict identified as Christopher Raphael Orlando was sentenced yesterday by the Mangochi First Grade Magistrate Court.
Mangochi Police prosecutor, Sergeant John Makawa, told the Court that Orlando is a well-known motorcycle thief.
According to Makawa, on the evening of February 2, 2021, Orlando met his brother-in-law on his way to Kassim village market. The Mozambican borrowed his brother in-law’s Lifo motorcycle valued at K550,000 which he promised to bring back before nightfall but went away with it.
Makawa added that, on April 2, 2021, the same Orlando went away with a duck Lifo motorcycle worth K550,000 belonging to his father-in-law at Chilawi village. At the time of the theft, he had been married to the victim’s daughter for two weeks.
Both incidents were reported at Mangochi Police Station and investigations were initiated.
Orlando was arrested by detectives on April 13, 2021 and it was discovered that he also robbed and killed a motorbike taxi operator within Mangochi. The detectives recovered the stolen motorbikes.
Appearing in Court, Orlando pleaded guilty to two counts of theft.
First Grade Magistrate Mtunduwatha Mpasu then sentenced him to 4 years for the first count of theft and 3 years imprisonment with hard labour for another count of theft saying the sentences should run consecutively.
Meanwhile, Orlando is expected to appear in court again for the charge of murder.
The convict hails from Masangulo village, Traditional Authority Chitambi District Ngauma in Mozambique.
