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The Senior Resident Magistrate’s court sitting at Lilongwe has convicted and sentenced a 27-year-old Emmanuel Sande, to five and half years imprisonment for breaking at the National Cancer Centre at Kamuzu Central Hospital, and stealing various office property worth K12 million on December 26, 2022 during day time.
According to Lilongwe Police spokesperson Inspector Hastings Chigalu the court heard from Assistant Superintendent Richard Kandeya of Lilongwe Police, that the convict, at around 8:30 hours using keys, broke into the National Cancer Centre offices at KCH, and stole 15 chairs, two plasma screens, a computer set, upright fridge, office table, among others, all valued at K12 million.
“Sande was apprehended by hospital staff members while loading the property in a 5 tonner Van he hired on the pretext that he was transferring the same to Chilinde Primary School where the hospital was to administer Cholera vaccine.
” In court, Sande pleaded not guilty a development that prompted the State to parade four witnesses to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt”, Said Chigalu.
In mitigation, the convict prayed for leniency to the court when passing its sentence saying he is a first time offender, and that he is a breadwinner for his family.
“But Kandeya, in his submission asked the court to slap the convict with stiffer custodial sentence saying, hiring a truck to ferry the stolen government property, it clearly shows that Sande planned to commit the offence.
Kandeya further submitted that, by stealing such valuable property from a central hospital, the convict wanted to deny the public quality health services, hence need for a deterrent sentence.
” Passing his sentence, Senior Resident Magistrate Shukran Kumbani, concurred with the State, and went on to slap Sande with a five and half year imprisonment, with effect from the date of his arrest”, Narrated Chigalu.
