Man Ordered To Pay K4 Million Or Spend Four Years In Jail For Stealing Fertilizer Worth K32 Million
Published on August 22, 2025 at 11:19 AM by Edgar Naitha
A court in Ntcheu has ordered Collins Ndatsalapati, 35, to pay a fine of K4 million or face four years in prison for stealing 145 bags of fertilizer worth K32 million.
Ntcheu Police Chief Jacob Khembo said the court heard that the suspect, a fertilizer dealer at Sharpevalley Agora in the district, sold the bags of fertilizer and later returned them as counterfeit.
Following the incident, other buyers who had purchased the fake fertilizer alerted the company’s management, leading to Ndatsalapati’s arrest by Sharpevalley Police.
In court, Ndatsalapati denied the charges, prompting the state to call nine witnesses who provided sufficient evidence against him.
During sentencing, Ndatsalapati pleaded for leniency, telling the court that he is a widower and the sole caregiver for his family.
However, the court ordered him to pay a K4 million fine or serve four years in prison with hard labour.
