The Lilongwe Principal Resident Magistrate’s Court has sentenced 29-year-old Emmanuel Maximiano to 7 years imprisonment with hard labour for breaking into a building and stealing property worth 9 Million Malawi Kwacha.
Sergeant Cassim Manda who is Lingadzi Police Station Publicist told Malawi24 that State Prosecutor Sergeant Moses Stephano told the court that Maximiano committed the offence between December 2023 and February 2024 at City Center in Lilongwe at several offices including those belonging to the Competition and Fair Trading Commission.
He further said Maximiano stole various valuable items including two computers that have since been recovered.
In mitigation, the convict prayed for leniency, saying he is a breadwinner for his family, a first-time offender, young and did not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty.
But in his submission, Prosecutor Stephano asked the court to deliver a stiffer punishment, saying Maximiano committed the crimes fully aware of the consequences.
In his ruling, Principal Resident Magistrate Roderick Michongwe said in all aspects, the convict was supposed to be given the maximum penalty of 10 years, but since he was a first-time offender and pleaded guilty, he needed to be considered.
He then sentenced him to 7 years imprisonment with hard labour to serve as a deterrent to other would-be offenders.
The convict comes from Chimutu Village, Traditional Authority Mkanda, in Mchinji district.
