Ex-Mzuni student leader Phompho convicted for unlawful wounding
The Mzuzu Magistrate Court on Wednesday found former Mzuzu University (Mzuni) student union president Abel Phompho guilty of unlawful wounding of a fellow student and convicted him, Nyasa Times has learnt.
Phompho has been on bail since his arrest last October when he, using a knobkerrie, beat up former Mzuni student leader deputy speaker Richard Kayenda over office keys.
He had opted to use force to enter the student union’s office upon being implicated in financial maladministration by school management and fellow council members.
Nyasa Times investigations revealed that Phompho had swindled K69 000 and K21 000 of management and student union’s money respectively for a meeting he had never attended.
“He wanted to cover up by tampering with some files in the office,” a student had told Nyasa Times.
In her Wednesday ruling, first grade magistrate Lilian Munthali found Phompho guilty and jailed him.
But Munthali put on hold a possible sentencing of four years imprisonment with hard labour after Phompho raised some mitigation factors.
“He said that her sister is chronically ill and that he looks after her and many others,” our reporter who followed the court proceedings said.
Munthali then adjourned the sentencing to Friday, 29th November, 2013 to consider the mitigating factors.
Meanwhile, Mzuni’s sensational tabloid Mzuni Live has strangely called for prayers from student community asking for God to intervene in the ex-leader’s case.
“A call for prayers to our former president come 29th November, 2013. He is not only a friend but also a brother and a colleague,” Mzuni Live posted on Facebook Wednesday.
According to the school newspaper, “for the first time Abel Phompho looked so unstable and uncomfortable.”
Phompho, 25, hails from Mtumula Village, Traditional Authority Katunga in Chikhwawa and was a student pursuing Bachelor of Arts Theology due to finish next December.
Should he finally get jailed Phompho automatically loses his place as a student, Mzuni’s student handbook stipulates.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
