Malawi Magistrate Viva Nyimba imprison man to 18 years for car theft: Accomplices on the run

February 23, 2015 Maurice Nkawihe- Nyasa Times 22 Comments

The Blantyre Magistrates Court on Monday sentenced Mike Hadji to 18 years imprisonment with hard labour for stealing motor vehicle and other items worth K5,861,500.00.

Hadji 30,  was arrested last year in June 2014 together with two accomplices, Lex Chikwekwe and Open Chikopa who are currently at large.

On Thursday 20th February, 2015 Senior Resident Magistrate, Viva Nyimba convicted Hadji who pleaded not guilty to the charge of Robbery with Violence which is contrary to Section 301 of the Penal Code.

The State paraded six witnesses who testified against Hadji, accused of masterminding the theft of a 2 tonner Mitsubishi Canter registration LL 1350 and other office items from Chimera Brewaries in Zingwangwa Newlines, Blantyre.

Other stolen items include new locks, kettle, cannon printer, wifi gadget, extension cable, hole puncher, boss bin, mixer amp, speakers, microphone and connector cables.

In mitigation before his sentencing on Monday, Hadji pleaded for leniency as he is sick, has two kids to look after and that he lost his wife and kid to the recent flooding.

But State prosecutor, Suprintendent Mojo Phiri of Blantyre police asked for stiffer punishment as robbery incidents were on increase.

”The court should consider the loss the company and owner of the vehicle suffered. The vehicle was broken into parts and some of the items have not been recovered,” said Superintendent Phiri.

He added: ”There is also a need to consider that the two watchmen on duty on the day of the robbery suffered trauma and one of them was robbed K9,000.00 by the accused.”

Magistrate Nyimba said Hadji deserved a custodial sentence as he was unrepentant considering his previous conviction- he was onvicted by Limbe Magistrates Court last year on theft charges.

Hadji hails from Balamanja village T/A Nkumba in Mangochi.

Meanwhile, Police are hunting for Chikwekwe and Chikopa who are still at large with Superintendent Phiri warning ”The arm of law will take its course on them.”

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22 replies on “Malawi Magistrate Viva Nyimba imprison man to 18 years for car theft: Accomplices on the run”

  1. I hope there is no selective justice here. Lets see similar sentences handed down to cash gate corrupt swindlers. There are more people that are not only traumatized by in fact dying due to after effects of cash gate. Lets give all cash gaters life sentences I think that is the only punishment that would fit the crime. or better yet lets have a firing squad for these bastards!!!

  3. This is a good point of reference ,let us wait and see how many years cashgate looters are going to be slapped with , for the huge sums of money they stole.

  4. PLEASE JUDICIARY CAN YOU FACILITATE TO PROMOTE NYIMBA TO BE A HIGH COURT JUDGE BECAUSE HE CAN BRING LAW AND ORDER IN THE COUNTRY OSATI DZONGOBETSA GALIMOTOZO KU MA HURE MKUMAFUNA YINA. VIVA NYIMBA VIVA NYIMBA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 18 years and NOT MONTHS …..TOO GOOD VERDICT.

  6. I understand the frustration that people have with cashgate sentences. However, pleadse do not compare them to armed robberies. There is indeed a great need to impose harsher sentences on these people. For some of us who have experienced armed robberies in our homes, our lives have never been the same. And how can they be? The trauma that comes with such incidences really affects your life. You can hardly sleep and you become so restless. So yest to stiffer penalties on armed robbers.

  10. Viva!! Viva Nyimba, long live! Koma Namathanga Senzani nde kumpatsa 3 years! choncho alangika kapena abanso zina! Ma judge ena awunikepo pamenepa ndipo milandu ya cash gate aweruze Viva.

  11. Uku ndiye kugamulatu koti anthu atengerepodi phunziro osati kumangoyerekeza iyayi. Loko atatuluka mu ndende munthu ameneyu angadzabenso??

  12. bravo Viva, anyamatawa amaziona mashasha akamatibera, they harm and kill innocent citizens without mercy….he deserves exactly that. …..others r comparing with cash gate, uchigawenga ndi cashgate r two different things, I believe cashgate anthu amapanga chifukwa zinaphweka, I believe cashgate was influenced by bad leadership…utsogoleri wokuba…..so ana sakanakhala chete ndikumangoonerera andale akulemera thus y naonso amatapamo….if theriz gud leadership & financial systems there can not be kuba in that magnitude….koma zigawengazi they will always steal, plunder and kill without mercy coz that’s wat they chose to b in life…..amafika point yokakhwimira “ntchito” yawoyi…they deserve just that!….bravo Viva ihav alwez known u as a gud lawyer kuyambira kalekale. keep up the gud work!

  16. Promote Viva as high court judge and should straight away handle Kasambaras case. though they are friends and come from same district he will give him 20years IHL. Kasambara needs to be in jail for many crimes that he has committed. also should handle Ali Kaka case.

  17. Am not against the sentencing of one called Hadji to 18years imprisonment with HL,but this has just reminded me about the case in which T.Nyamathanga a senior government official sentence of 3 years. If we try to do comparison between the two we will find that what Hadji stole is nothing,its just a drop of what T. Nyamathanga looted. Perhaps Hadji and his friends stole at a gunpoint,there by threatening lives? Well I don’t C the difference here because Malawi is in grinding poverty,no medicine in hospitals,service standards have dwindled,there by threatening lives of millions of Malawians because of greedy people like Nyamathanga and yet she was sentenced 3 years imprisonment ONLY. Chilikuti chilungamo pamenepa?

  18. I HOPE OTHER MAGISTRATES WILL EMULATE THEIR COLLEAGUE IF THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT THE WELFARE OF MALAWIANS. NOT WHAT WE SAW HERE IN BALAKA A PERSON KIDNAPPING GIIRLS, RAPED THEM REPEATEDLY ONLY TO SENTENCE HIM 3 YEARS. NDI KWA AFUMU CHANU????? GIVE THEM VERY STIFF PENALTIES. IF KUBA GALIMOTO ITS 18 YEARS WHAT MORE WITH DEFILING UNDERAGED GIRLS ?????????????????

  20. Am not against the sentence the deserve such but zangondikumbutsa milandu ya T.Nyamathanga anaba x 100 what this Hadji stole komano zaka zitatu.Chingamo chilipo pamenepa?

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