By Brian Longwe
Lilongwe-MaraviPost-Nkukula Magistrate court on Tuesday sentenced a 37 year old Mphatso Nkhulambe, to nine months imprisonment with hard labour for pretending to be dead in order to solicit money from relatives.
According to the Deputy Public Relations Officer for Kanengo Police station, Sub-Inspector Esther Mkwanda, Nkhulambe who is a professional tailor residing in Area 25 (Mgona location) in capital city, on 19 October this year, went to a telephone bureau at Nsungwi market and phoned his brother to tell him the tragic news.
“He pretended to be someone else, telling his brother that he was dead and that his relatives should send money and prepare for his burial,” Mkwanda explained to our reporter.
Mkwanda added that upon receiving the sad message, two family members were sent to Lilongwe to carry the deceased’s remains for burial but they could not trace him, the thing that influenced them to report the matter to Kanengo Police station.
“As police, we carried out investigations and found him at Mgona,” she said.
Police prosecutor Peter Piringu during court proceedings, proved beyond reasonable doubt before Second Grade Magistrate Kamtikana where Nkhulambe pleaded not guilty, by parading three witnesses who are the owner of the telephone bureau, his brother and the police investigator.
After the rulling, Piringu pleaded with the court to give the convict a custodial penalty that would send a message to others who would think of doing such abominable act.
Mphatso Nkhulambe hails from Kamwendo village, Traditional Authority (T.A) Sitola in Machinga.
The convict was answering a charge of Fraud Other Than False Pretence contrary to section 319 A(c) of the penal code.