The Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court in Limbe, Blantyre has convicted and sentenced Isaac Mpinga and Precious Kalamula to three years imprisonment each for kidnapping a 14-year-old boy of Indian origin.

The court through prosecutor Inspector Ernest Mangwena heard that, the convicts together with other accomplices, on June 30, 202, whilst armed with panga knives attacked the victim near Y.A. Bhana building in Limbe and later took him to a nearby bush.

The convicts then called the victim’s father and demanded a ransom of K6 million.

Prosecutor Mangwena added that after negotiations, a sum of K1 million was sent to them before the boy was dumped at a certain filling station in Makhetha, Machinjiri.

The convicts were apprehended by Limbe police detectives on July 7, 2022, and later charged with kidnapping.

Appearing in court, both convicts pleaded guilty to the charge levelled against them.

In mitigation the two pleaded with the court for leniency saying that they were first offenders.

In submission, prosecutor Mangwena prayed for stiffer sentence stressing that the offence committed is serious in nature and attracts maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment with hard labour.

Passing sentence, Senior Resident Magistrate Byson Masonga concurred with the state hence sentenced each of them to 3 years imprisonment with hard labour to deter other would be offenders.

Isaac Mpinga, 25, hails from Mphwere Village, Traditional Authority Nkalo in Chiradzulu district while Precious Kalamula, 20, comes from Kapasule Village, Traditional Authority Sawali in Balaka.