Musician Dwale Kalaya jailed 16 years for sex crime: Defiled 9-year-old girl

Malawi’s renowned guitarist, Dwale Kalaya has been sentenced to 16 years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) by Blantyre Magistrates Court for defiling a nine-year-old girl.

Kalaya,27, a guitarist for Mkokomo Band defiled his neighbor’s daughter (name withheld) on October 30th, 2015 in Chimwankhunda Township, Blantyre.

He was arrested on November 30th in Ntcheu district where he was hiding.

Kalaya popularly known by his first name Dwale in the music industry, pleaded not guilty to the offence of defilement but the court convicted him following incriminating evidence.

And on Thursday, Senior Resident Magistrate Kondwani Mandala ordered Dwale to serve 16-years jail term after he failed to successfuly defend himself.

Blantyre police Public Relations Officer, Elizabeth Divala told Nyasa Times the accused had escaped to Ntcheu when he realized that the law enforcers were hunting for him.

”He committed the offence on October 30th and he threatened the victim not to reveal the incident to anybody,” explained Divala.

”However, days later, the girl’s mother noticed that she couldnt walk properly. And when she was quizzed as to what happened, she revealed the accused defiled her”.

The matter was reported to Chilobwe police who referred the victim to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH); and the hospital’s medical report confirmed that the girl was indeed defiled.

Kalaya was charged with Defilement contrary to Section 138 of the Penal Code.

He hails from Machemba village, T/A Vumbwe in Thyolo district.

Kalaya has worked with various musicians- secular and gospel- and is a long time member of Music Association of Malawi (MAM).

 

 

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