A 24-year-old man Yesaya Quoto who hails from Mwerekete Village, Traditional Authority Mthwalo in Mzimba District, has been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment with hard labour by the First Grade Magistrate’s Court sitting at Dwangwa in Nkhotakota after he was found guilty of possessing K575,000 counterfeit currency of K5,000 notes at Dwangwa trading centre.
Deputy Public Relations Officer for Central East Region Inspector Henry Mnjere has confirmed of the development.
Inspector Mnjere said the court heard through police state prosecutor, sub Inspector Thoko Juziwel, that Quoto was found with the said counterfeit currency on March 28th, 2022 when he was making mobile money transaction through TNM Mpamba to a certain female mobile money agent at the trading centre.
“The agent got suspicious with the K5,000 bank notes amounting to K60,000 given to her for the transaction and she informed her friends who took the matter to Nkhunga police Station along with the suspect,” Mnjere said.
He further highlighted that detectives effected an arrest after they found him with additional K115,000 notes bearing one serial number AA7915614 which led to seizure of gadgets after police inquiries which were suspected to have been used for the money manufacturing syndicate.
“The items were found in his shop located at Kande trading centre in Nkhata Bay District and he was charged with three counts of illegal possession of counterfeit currency notes contravening section 366, unlawful possession of implements for forgery contravening section 374 (b) and forgery of currency notes contravening section 357 of the Penal Code,” he explained.
Mnjere further said that Quoto was convicted in court following his own plea of guilty to all three counts levelled against him where prosecutor Juziwel prayed with court in submission to give meaningful sentence to the offender, saying the convict committed a serious offence which attracts custodial sentence.
“Passing verdict, First Grade Magistrate Kingsley Buleya, concurred with the state’s submissions and slapped the convict with 4 years for first and second counts and 12 years for the third count which will run concurrently,” Mnjere said.