By Burnett Munthali
Seven men have been convicted and sentenced to 21 years imprisonment with hard labour each by the Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate Court following a high-profile robbery incident in the city.
The sentencing comes in relation to a robbery that occurred a few days ago at Gravity Mall SANA and Asterik Systems Limited, both located in the City Centre of Lilongwe.
Deputy Public Relations Officer for Lingadzi Police Station, Sergeant Maria Kumwenda, confirmed the development on Wednesday.
She revealed that all seven accused individuals had pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery during court proceedings.
The convicted individuals have been identified as George Wells, aged 43, Stanford Mulowa, aged 43, Kennedy Maluwa, aged 45, Mike Banda, aged 35, Weston Richard, aged 32, Kenneth William, aged 45, and Harry Raphael, aged 47.
According to Sergeant Kumwenda, the court heard through State Prosecutor Sub Inspector Felix William Swanzani of Lingadzi Police Station that the robbery took place on the night of May 3rd, 2025.
On that night, the convicts broke into the SANA shop and made away with K20 million in cash.
In addition to the cash, the robbers also stole an HP laptop, cosmetics, several power banks, and bricks of cigarettes.
The court further learned that the same group is believed to have committed other robberies in Area 43, Area 25, and Njewa within the city.
Following intensive investigations, police apprehended the suspects in various districts, as they had dispersed to their respective places of origin after committing the crime.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers recovered a real pistol and a toy gun which were used in the commission of the robberies.
The stiff sentencing is seen as a strong message to deter similar crimes and ensure the safety of businesses and communities in Lilongwe.
