Court fines man K80 000 kwacha for illegal possession of firearm

The Mponela First Grade Magistrate court has convicted and fined a-26-year-old man, identified as Chikumbutso Chisowa to pay a fine of K80 000 kwacha for the offence of illegal possession of firearm.

The court heard through the state prosecutor Sub Inspector Wonderful Chipo that on December 5, 2023, Mponela police female officers who were on Basadi operation received information from well wishers that the convict was keeping a gun at Khwema Trading Centre.

Chisowa was lodging at one of the rooms at a certain bottle store.

The female officers made a follow up and found the suspect in the room with a plastic jumbo where the riffle was hidden. He was also found with a camouflage top.

Appearing in court, Chisowa pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal possession of fire arm which contraveness section 12(1) of the firearms act.

In his submission, Sub Inspector Chipo asked the court to give the convict a stiffer punishment in order to deter other would be offenders.

First Grade Magistrate Talakwanji M’ndala concurred with the state hence fined the convict K80 000 or in default to serve a 6-month jail term with hard labour.

Chisowa comes from Biwi village in the area of Traditional Authority Kalumo in Ntchisi District.