Court jails notorious criminal to 51 years

Zomba senior resident magistrate court has jailed a notorious criminal Gift Sitamba to 36 years on top of another 15 years he is currently serving for masterminding a series of armed robberies.

Sitamba was sentenced alongside Muhammad Ali and Thomas Ali who will serve a 30 year jail term for being accomplices in the crime.

Eastern region prosecutor senior superintendent Dickens Mwambazi told the court that Sitamba and the two had terrorized a lot of people in Zomba.

“Sitamba was arrested in Liwonde where he was found with combat rifle and five ammunitions while his accomplices were apprehended in Ntcheu while trying to flee to South Africa,” explained Mwambazi

They pleaded not guilty therefore police paraded 9 witnesses who testified against them.

“They pleaded for lenience because are serving another jail term but acting senior resident magistrate Paul Chiotcha said they deserved stiffer penalty considering the seriousness of the offences,” Mwambazi added.

Some of the stolen items were recovered in Nkhota-kota.

Gift Sitamba comes from Mphonde village TA Mphonde in Nkhotakota while Muhammad Ali from Kwitinji village TA Katuli and Thomas Ali from Kulimba village TA Chowe in Mangochi.