By Twink Jones Gadama
Three women have been sentenced to one year in prison for stealing fuel worth K249,490 from Chipiku Store in Mangochi.
The women, Rose Naminga, 61, Lucy Mangani, 61, and Daina Thukuwa, 60, were arrested and charged with theft after they were caught red-handed by store employees.
According to eyewitnesses, the women would enter the store, pretending to shop, and then secretly siphon fuel from the gas pumps into their bags. The store employees became suspicious and caught the women in the act.
The women appeared before the Mangochi Magistrate Court, where they pleaded guilty to the charges. Magistrate Roy Kakutu sentenced them to one year in prison, citing the need to teach other would-be thieves a lesson.
The women who didn’t have any legal representation pleaded for leniency, arguing that they were only trying to support their families. However, Magistrate Kakutu remained unmoved, stating that the women’s actions were unacceptable and deserved punishment.
This incident has sent shockwaves through the community, with many expressing outrage at the women’s actions. The store owner has also expressed gratitude to the employees who caught the thieves, saying that their quick thinking prevented further losses.
However others felt that the magistrate was supposed to give them a suspended sentence considering their ages and the country’s economic problems faced by many.
The three women will serve their sentence at the Mangochi Prison. The incident serves as a reminder of the consequences of theft and the importance of upholding the law.
