Print this page

Court to Pass Judgement on 12 Albino Murder Convicts on June 27

Judge Kamanga said she needs to have more time to incorporate factual issues raised by both the state and the defense before coming up with the sentence Judge Kamanga said she needs to have more time to incorporate factual issues raised by both the state and the defense before coming up with the sentence

The High Court Judge Dorothy Nyakaunda Kamanga has set June 27 this year to sentence 12 people that were convicted for brutally killing a person with albinism, Macdonlad Masambuka in Machinga in 2018.

Judge Kamanga said she needs to have more time to incorporate factual issues raised by both the state and the defense before coming up with the sentence.

Earlier, Senior state advocate Pirirani Masanjala asked the court to hand the convicts a life imprisonment sentence describing the committed offences as grave.

He added that the convicts carefully planned to commit the offence which led to loss of life.

“The convicts who are all in mature age carefully planned to commit the offences when they used weapons to kill Masambuka and extract body tissues. To us, life imprisonment is ideal to show the community that the convicts committed a grave and evil offense,” said Masanjala.

Defense lawyers including Trouble Kaluwa and Masauko Chamkakala differed with the state saying the convicts are now remorseful hence the need to give a sentence less than 10 years.

“We ask the court to exercise a balancing act by providing short and swift sentences. A court is a place of justice so it cannot make a decision based on what people will say or what they want,” said Kaluwa.

While Chamkakala had this to say: “We are hopeful that the court will consider our submissions. For us it is a sad story of Masambuka indeed. Yes, there was indeed a bit of planning around as evidence was shown in court but to us we are still of the view that these are not as serious to warrant a maximum sentence.”

At one point, Judge Nyakaunda Kamanga asked Fr Thomas Muhosha to make his mitigation since his lawyers failed to come to the court.

Fr Muhosha repeatedly asked the court for mercy claiming that the four years which he has spent in prison has changed his life.

“I am pleading for mercy for I know I have offended many. I am now a changed person. I was tricked by a police officer,” said Fr Muhosha.

He then begged the court to hand him a sentence of less than 10 years.

The 12 convicts including Fr Muhosha, Alfred Yohane, police officer Chikondi Chileka, clinician Lumbani Kamanga, Dickson Ndengu, biological brother to the deceased, Cassium Masambuka killed Masambuka in March, 2018.

Read 1382 times

Last modified on Tuesday, 31/05/2022

Login to post comments