2 to serve 10 years in jail for NBS bank robbery

Nkhotakota First Grade Magistrate  (FGM)  has  convicted a given a lengthy 10 year jail tem to two men in a case filed over a daring bank robbery at New Building Society (NBS) armed robbers .

The two,  a 28-year-old, Weton Humba and a 38-year-old Jeffrey Phiri were among the five who robbed Nkhotakota NBS properties worthy K 4. 4 million on the night of March 2  this year.

Nkhotakota police leading criminal investigator in the case and the Station Criminal Investigations Officer (SCIO) detective inspector Baxter Mkumbwa said the convicts are among the notorious criminals in the country.

The robbers  r tied two guards found at the bank’s premises.Although they failed to steal cash, however,  went away with two HP computers, CCTV set, all valued at K4. 4 million.

After being convicted, Phiri asked for court’s lenience, saying he has a kidney problem while Humba said he has several businesses which if  jailed there is no one to look after them.

However,  First Grade Magistrate  Fred Juma Chilowetsa presiding said court doesn’t consider personal problems when passing sentence. He schooled the two to have thought about it before going ahead committing the offence.

“Armed robbery offence is serious in nature. If committed by more than two people as it is stipulated in penal code section 301 (2) it is life imprisonment,” he said

Chilowetsa therefore sentenced the two to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour and forfeited the motor vehicle Virtz    registration number CK 3369 which was used by the suspects a getaway car to the government as stipulated in section 317 of the penal code.

The convicts  Geoffrey Phiri aged 38 hails from Ntaja village in the area of traditional authority (T/A) Kawinga in Machinga district while Welton Humba aged 20 is from Saiwa, T/A Makwangwala in Ntcheu district.