By Staff Reporter

The Dowa First Grade Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, April 13 2022, convicted and sentenced five people to pay a fine of K50 000.00 each or in default serve 12 months imprisonment with hard labour for trafficking and possessing forest produce without a permit.

State prosecutor Inspector Christopher Daluni told the court that the convicts, Thokozani Nthala, 25, Watson Josamm, 26, Henry Nthondola, 34, Vincent Dalison, 21 and Finius Jossam, 18, were arrested during the night of April 7 2022 at Chankhungu Trading Centre in Dowa District.

He said on the particular night, police officers were conducting night patrols and upon arrival at Chankhungu Trading Centre they found a motor vehicle Rhino Ranger Van registration number ( BY 1806) 4 tonner parked along the road.

This prompted the police officers to stop to check what had happened and this is when it was discovered that the motor vehicle was loaded with over 100 bags of charcoal.
State prosecutor Inspector Christopher Daluni further narrated in court that this led to the arrest of the occupants including the driver and the motor vehicle was impounded.

Appearing before court, the convicts pleaded guilty to charges of Trafficking Forest Produce without a permit and Found in possession of Forest Produce without a permit.
In his submission, state prosecutor Inspector Christopher Daluni asked the court to mete out a stiff punishment to the offenders as a warning to other would-be offenders, saying the behaviour of charcoal burning is affecting climate change.

Passing sentence, First Grade Magistrate Robert Botha concurred with the state’s submission and sentenced two of them (Thokozani Nthala and Watson Josamm) to pay a fine K50 000.00 each or in default serve 12 months imprisonment with hard labour for Trafficking In Forest Produce without a permit and while the other three (Henry Nthondola, Vincent Dalison and Finius Jossam) were ordered to pay a fine of K50 000.00 each or in default serve 12 months IHL for Found In Possession of Forest Produce without a permit while the charcoal has been forfeited to Malawi Government and the motor vehicle has been restored to the owner.

The convict have since paid the fines.
In a related development, the same court has convicted and sentenced 23-year-old man, Chipambano Maxwell, of Makanjira Village in the area of Traditional Authority Msakambewa in Dowa District to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour for theft of goat.