Senzani risks vigilant justice if given bail: Malawi cashgate prisoner
The voices from some sections of the society have warned High Court Judge Ivy Kamanga to guard against people “taking the law into their own hands” to cashgate prisoner Teresa Namathanga if released on bail pending appeal of her three-year sentence.
Senzani, the first person convicted in a 2013 government scandal involving corruption, looting and the theft of more than $30 million in public funds, made a bail application this week through her lawyer Necton Mhura.
But comments from the society through comments on Nyasa Times and social media on the bail application warns that releasing the convicted cashgate prisoner on bail would be ” horrendously inappropriate”.
People are warning of possible vigilante attacks on Senzani is she walks free.
Already her three year sentence received a public backlash as more lenient sentence that will not deter anyone from committing a similar offense.
“A punishment is a deterrent, otherwise if we have lenient sentences, chances are that we may not be dealing with the problem because people will calculate and conclude that perhaps it is worthwhile taking a risk of being in prison for three years and thereafter enjoy millions of dollars that were stolen from government coffers,” said Ernest Thindwa, a political science lecturer at the Chancellor College of the University of Malawi.
But lawyer Mhura contends the High Court Judge should have handed a suspended sentence to his client because she had pleaded guilty and therefore did not waste time for the court.
He also believes the sentence should have been lenient because the convict is a first offender and that charges placed against her were not ‘severe’.
Senzani, the former principal secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, had pleaded guilty to stealing about $150,000 (about K63 million) in the financial scam, referred to in Malawi as the Cashgate scandal, which prompted donor partners to withdraw their budgetary support to the country.
Tereza Senzani ndi mwana wa Anna Kachiko, nee Namathanga. she gave birth to ths thief when she was in std 6, but her father the late and ex police commissioner raised her as their last born. The one who is influencing the bail is MP Anna Kachiko. She did not build the mansion in 6 miles only, but also bought 3 houses in Blantyre which she had distributed to her 3 daughters, and also has built an office block at Mchesi behind Injena filling station and winners church….. the money is more than this figure…..you judge watch dont acquit her… Read more »
I AGREE THAT SHE IS A BAD WOMAN BUT WHAT ABOUT MEN WHO HAVE STOLEN MORE THAN HER? I THINK WOMEN ARE PUNISHED MORE THAN MEN. w WHY SHOULD WE ONLY PUNISH WOMEN? I KNOW THIS WOMAN WILL NEVER LIVE A HAPPY LIFE WHILE MEN WILL GO FREE AND ENJOYING THEIR THIEFT MONEY. I DONT KNOW WHY THE PEOPLE OF MALAWI DONT GO TO THESE PEOPLE AND STORM THEIR HOUSES. ONLY THAT IME THEY WILL UNDERSTAND WHY WE OTHERS ARE ANGRY. POOR PEOPLE ARE JAILED FOR SMALL STEALING WHILE THEY PEOPLE WHO HAVE STOLEN HUGE ARE FREE. THE THING IS… Read more »
Amai amenewa ndikangowaona town tiwotcha.
Amaneyu tiwotcha mbambadi m’theladi
My friend was also a first offender but as I am speaking he’s serving 8 years with hard labor for stealing a chicken.Anyway we understand that prisons were built for the poor
Malawi justice stinks!
The only solution is Malawians to punish all cashgaters. Our justice system is rotten. Lets burn them all
Anthuwa ndi amodzi angokupusisani they know each other Namathanga knows more ndikilani kaye audid report ikatuluka kuyamba 2009 to 2012 mukumudwa anthu ambiri that two years was just a continuetion. Have you forgotten bags of dollars found ku state house.
‘Everybody is a thief, but don’t get caught’, once said the late President Mzee Jomo Kenyata. I add to say, ‘When you steal, let nobody suffer because of your theft’.
Govenment better cofistigate all her properties including the mansion which is even bigger than Ndata palace of Bingu. If you do not do that people will torch that house. You cannot imprison her for three weeks and she comes back to continue enjoying the same house. This is mockery to the nation and to the justice of the Malawians. Malawians wake up kwina ndi kwina amai amenewa nyumbayo ikanakhala ata otcha kale anthu.
Please keep her there 15 million people of malawi is safering because of that lady.
ine zomati ndi first offender zimandibowa kundendeko kulibeko ma first offender iyeyo kutani andisamale, zikundiwawa kumadulidwa msonkho wina kuba ndalamazo, wina wabd mbuzi mukumukaniza bail wat kind of constitution iz that