Mchinji bar owner convicted for assaulting Escom employee
Mchinji First Grade Magistrate Court has convicted a bar owner and condemned him with a suspended sentence of 12 months for assaulting an Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) employee on May 20 2019.
Central-West Region Police Public Relations Officer, Alfred Chimthere, said First Grade Magistrate Yohane Nkhata, slapped Paul Tembo with a 16-month
sentence but suspended it to 12 months for assaulting the Escom employee, Moses Mwandira.
Tembo, aged 40, attacked Mwandira to prevent him from uncovering an illegal connection at a bar located at Kanyama in Mchinji District.
Tembo also hails from Kanyama.
“The accused illegally connected electricity from his house to his bar. When Escom officials asked, he assaulted him. He pleaded guilty to the charge; hence, lenient sentence,” Chimthere said.
The police spokesperson has since warned members of the public against taking the law into their own hands when dealing with ESCOM employees.
“We should remember that ESCOM employees are only doing their job; hence, it is wrong to harass them. If there is any query, it is important to take up the matter to their superiors.
“These employees have their families that they are looking for and it is uncalled for to harm them when they are just performing their office duties,” Chimthere said.
Illegal connections, which are rampant in the country, affect ESCOM service delivery.
