3 Women Convicted of Theft in Neno, Ordered to Pay Fine or Serve Jail Time
Published on June 18, 2025 at 1:48 PM by Evance Kapito
The Neno First Grade Magistrate’s Court has convicted and sentenced three women to pay a fine of K50,000 each or face three months of imprisonment with hard labour after being found guilty of theft.
The convicted women are Josephine Msuse (19), Esther Mtendere (22) from Kamoto Village under Traditional Authority (T/A) Dambe, and Edda Mlotta (30) from Donda 2, T/A Cheku-cheku in Neno District.
According to state prosecutor Alex Boko, the incident occurred between June 2 and June 9, 2025. The women broke into a storeroom belonging to Loveness Chingwalu, a lodge owner, and stole 28 bags of maize and other items valued at approximately K2.119 million.
The suspects were arrested on June 13, 2025, and police managed to recover 22 bags of maize along with several stolen items. The women pleaded guilty to the charges and asked the court for leniency.
However, the prosecutor pushed for a stiffer sentence to serve as a deterrent to others. Agreeing with the prosecution, Magistrate Margret Khobiri ordered each woman to pay a K50,000 fine or serve a three-month prison sentence with hard labour.
