Prisoner sues warder over wife snatching

Chancy Gondwe, an inmate at Nkhotakota Prison, has taken Cosmas Meja to court for allegedly taking advantage of his position as a prison warder to snatch his (Gondwe’s) wife, Esther.

Explaining the issue during this year’s Human Rights Day Commemoration on Tuesday, Gondwe expressed surprise that the Judiciary was not taking up his case.

He said he sent a letter to Nkhotakota first grade magistrate’s court some weeks ago and he was patiently waiting for feedback.

Gondwe said he has evidence that Meja has been communicating with his wife while he was serving his seven-year- jail term after being found guilty of theft by servant count.

The prisoner claimed Meja bought his wife a new phone, a lamp and has rented her a house in Nkhotakota. He also says Meja told his wife to abandon him, saying he was a criminal who could not assist her.

Nkhotakota First Grade Magistrate Juma Chilowetsa acknowledged receipt of the complaint through a letter which he said was brought to his office by a bicycle taxi operator and promised to take up the matter.-

While admitting that he was aware of the development, Nkhotakota Prison officer-in-charge McDonald Sitima, however, wondered how Gondwe managed to send his complaint to the judiciary through a letter without the knowledge of prison authorities.

Meja was welfare officer for the prisoners hence he was the right person to communicate with relations to the prisoners.

Sitima said the issue started when Esther arrived late in Nkhotakota to see Gondwe.

“She complained she had nowhere to sleep and our officer fetched a place from a neighbour where she spent her night. The following morning, she visited her husband and left for Mzuzu where she stays,” said Sitima.

He echoed that after investigations, prison officials realized that misunderstanding between Gondwe and Meja ascended because the prisoner lied to his wife that he was serving 16 months jail term while he was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment with hard labour.

“Our officer claims he told Esther about 7 years not to damage the reputation of the prisoner but that he was not aware Gondwe did not want his wife to know he would spend more years in jail,” said the OC while saying they had so far relieved Meja of his welfare duties.