Malawi killer driver fined K800, 000
The 32-year driver Mike Maleka who caused the gruesome death of four people has been ordered by a resident magistrate court in Malawi’s eastern city of Zomba to pay a fine of K800, 000.00 or serve 4-years imprisonment with hard labour after found guilty of reckless driving.
Police Prosecutor Assistant Commissioner of Police Mwawi Kaluwa told the court on Friday that Maleka caused the death of four people when a Toyota VX motor vehicle he was driving collided head-on with an oncoming min bus at Kapalamula in Balaka district on 2nd August.
“Maleka’s vehicle registration number MG 855 AC failed to keep to his lane and eventually collided head-on with an oncoming min bus which was being driven by Mr Manuel Zafelino,” Kaluwa told the court.
He said other passengers in the minibus sustained minor injuries.
Maleka pleaded guilty to all the four counts before the Zomba acting resident magistrate Gift Makanje.
Kaluwa said most of accidents in the country are caused by irresponsible drivers like Maleka.
“The death of the four people is a loss to the country and to the relatives of the deceased. Therefore the court should consider giving the suspect a stiffer sentence so that it should be a lesson to him and would be offenders,” he said.
But in his mitigation, Maleka asked the court to be lenient when passing sentence saying that he is a bread winner for his family and looks after his aged parents.
Passing judgement, Acting Resident Magistrate Gift Makanje conquered with the Police that most of the accidents are because of reckless driving.
She therefore said that these drivers needs to be given stiffer sentences and ordered him to pay a fine of K200,000.00 on each of the four counts making a total of K800,000.00 of which the relations of each deceased will get a compensation of K150,000.00.
Makanje said she has given him such a sentence so that it should be a lesson to him and would be offenders.
Maleka comes from Maganga village, Traditional Authority Mlonyeni in Mchinji district but was residing at Ntcheu district where he was working as a driver at Ntcheu District Council.
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