The Dowa First Grade Magistrate’s Court on Thursday sentenced five people from Dzaleka Refugee Camp to four years in prison each for breaking into a school and stealing 93 Lenovo tablets and two laptops valued at K17, 695,000.
The court through state prosecutor Inspector Christopher Daluni heard that Kiza Tunga, 18, Eli Kabonngo, 20, Lucky Kalonji, 21, Joseph Kalonji, 20 and Manase Niyonkulu, 19, during the night of December 4 went to Umodzi Katubza Primary School at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa District were they broke into the school’s office and stole 93 Lenovo tablets and two laptops valued at K17, 695,000.
Upon investigations, the five were arrested and 26 Lenovo tablets and one laptop were recovered.
Appearing before court, they admitted to the charge of breaking into a building and committing felony therein contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code.
In his submission, state prosecutor Inspector Christopher Daluni asked the court to mete out a stiff punishment to the offenders, arguing that the offence committed is serious in nature.
Passing sentence, First Grade Magistrate Amran Phiri concurred with the state’s submission hence sentenced each of them to four years imprisonment with hard labour as a deterrent to others with similar intentions.
Among the five convicts, four are from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and one is from Burundi, all based at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa.
