The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) in Karonga has expressed its disappointment with the K200, 000 fine Malawi court has handed to a meter tampering convict in the district described the penalty as lenient.On Wednesday this week, the Karonga first magistrate Chakaka Nyirenda slapped a 34 years old man Edson Soko to pay K200, 000 fine or save 24 months imprisonment after he admitted of the offence in connection with tampering of the power supplier body’s meter.
However, the District ESCOM Engineer Chiona Mkwate expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment saying the crime committed was a big offence.
“As ESCOM we are not happy with the judgment because it is too lenient comparing to the
crime the convict committed,” said Mkwate.
“We were expecting that the court will give a minimum of MK40 million penalty to the offender or
10 years jail term if he fails especially because a lot of our meters are being tampered with and this would have deterred the would be offenders,” he added.
Mkwate however said that his organization will discuss with its lawyers to see if it will be possible to
appeal the case.
In his remarks, the District prosecution of the police Peter Pilingu concurred with Mkwate saying
“such kind of judgment mostly affects their job.”
According to Pilingu, about 80 meters in Karonga and Chitipa were destroyed within the month
of March 2016 and that the police are still hunting for other suspects.
Soko hailed from Ndovi village in the area of Senior Chief Wasambo in the same Karonga
district.