Man jailed 4 years over fake K2000 notes

The Nkhunga first grade magistrate court in Nkhotakota has sentenced a man to four years in jail for possessing and circulating counterfeit bank notes.

Nkhunga Police Spokesperson Laban Makalani has identified the man as Iwell Banda who hails from Mtupi village, Traditional Authority Kanyenda in Nkhotakota.

Appearing before First Grade Magistrate Kingsley Buleya on Thursday, Banda pleaded guilty to a charge of importing or purchasing forged notes under section 366 of the penal code.

Police Prosecutor Inspector Wills Asibu told the court that the convict obtained K120,000 of forged K2,000 bank notes from unidentified persons in Lilongwe which he brought to his home village and started circulating.

He gave K80, 000 to his friend identified as Boyson Chirwa 34 who in turn gave it to his farm labourers. The farm labourers realized that they had been duped after a trader recognized that the notes were counterfeits.

Police arrested Banda after being tipped by members of community policing. The police seized K34,000 of the forged bank notes which were examined by the Reserve Bank of Malawi and confirmed to be counterfeits.

“The bank notes, which all bear a serial number AA3604446, were tendered as part of evidence before the court,” Asibu said.

The prosecutor then asked the court to pass a stiff penalty because the offence is a felony and has huge negative implications on the country’s economy.  He further said that the practice of producing and circulating forged money may lead to high inflation. He also pointed out that out of K120, 000 which Banda obtained from Lilongwe, police only seized K34, 000 which means that K86, 000 is still in circulation.

Passing the sentence, Magistrate Kingsley Buleya, said he considered the fact that Banda was a first offender and had pleaded guilty without wasting the courts time as strong mitigation factors warranting the court to pass a lenient jail sentence.

He therefore sentenced him to four years with the hope that the penalty will serve as a signal to others.  He also ordered that the forged bank notes be surrendered to the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) for retention.

The police are currently reminding members of the general public that it is against the law of Malawi to produce and circulate counterfeit notes. Everyone who will be found indulging in the malpractice will be arrested and charged accordingly.

Section 366 of the penal code reads: “Any person who, without lawful authority or excuse, the proof of which lie on him, imports into the Republic, or purchases or receives from any person, or has in his possession, a forged bank note, or currency note, whether filled up or in blank, knowing it to be forged, shall be guilty of a felony and shall be liable to imprisonment for seven years.”