Grant Tsilizani, a 30-year-old man, has been sentenced to 9 years imprisonment with hard labour for buying a umbilical cord.
The Balaka First Grade Magistrate’s Court through state prosecutor Superintendent Bodwin Msukwa heard that the convict, Grant Tsilizani, on November 12, 2022 at Ngongomwa Village in the district of Balaka, was found buying human body parts namely Umbilical Cord of a newly born baby for his own purpose.
State prosecutor Superintendent Msukwa further told the court that the human tissues (Umbilical Cord) bought at K5000 by the convict belongs to a certain woman within Ngongomwa Village who had just delivered twins.
Appearing before court, the Tsilizani pleaded not guilty to the charge of buying human tissues contrary to Section 16 of the Anatomy Act and the matter went to full trial.
This prompted the state to parade three witnesses and at the end, the court found Tsilizani guilty.
with a case to answer requiring him to enter his defence which he parade one witness.
In mitigation, the accused asked the court for leniency, saying he is a breadwinner as well as a first offender.
However, in his submission, state prosecutor Superintendent Msukwa pleaded with the court to meteout a stiff sentence to the offender, saying that the offence committed is serious in nature and the sentence will deter others will similar intentions of, found, selling and buying human tissues.
Presiding over the case, First Grade Magistrate Phillip Chibwana concurred with the state’s submissions and sentenced the convict to 9 years imprisonment with hard labour as a warning to other would-be offenders.
The convict, Grant Tsilizani, comes from Ngongomwa Village in the area of Traditional Authority Chamnthunya in Balaka District.
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