Mangochi Senior Resident Magistrate Court on Thursday sentenced Rafick Anussa, 41, and 21-year-old Anusa Wilson to 12 years imprisonment with hard labour each for offering for sale a 4-year-old boy.
The court heard through state Prosecutor Sub Inspector Blessings Madikhula that in September, 2021 the convicts approached Jawadu Bernard a well-known businessman at Namwera Trading Centre that they sell human beings and bones.
Jawadu tricked the duo into bringing him a human being at a later date before informing the Police about the development.
On the afternoon of October 6, 2021, the convicts brought the 4-year old boy to Jawadu at a price of K500,000.
The buyer lied to the duo that he was running out of cash and also wanted to hire a motor vehicle for easy movements and agreed that the two should take the boy to a nearby bush where the deal would be finalized.
Jawadu sneaked out and alerted the police who went together to the said place where the suspects were immediately arrested.
The two were charged with two counts: trafficking in persons, and offering for sale a human being.
Appearing in court, both pleaded not guilty to the charges and the state paraded four witnesses who proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
In mitigation, they asked for leniency, saying that they are breadwinners to their old parents but prosecutor Madikhula reminded the court that the convicts deprived human dignity and also put the life of the innocent child at risk, hence prayed for a stiffer sentence.
Passing judgement, Senior Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe concurred with the state.
He therefore sentenced each of them to 11 years for the count of trafficking in persons and 12 years for the count of offering for sale a human being. The sentences will run concurrently.
The convicts hail from Sailesi village Traditional Authority Katuli in Mangochi
