Africa-Press – Malawi. Malawi Police officers in Blantyre are facing public anger for unprofessional conducting by forcing young boy Mussa John to confess a crime which he did not commit.
The development has prompted three lawyers and two paralegals to appeal the sentencing of a 19- year old boy, John to eight years Imprisonment with Hard Labour for being found in possession with 78 plastic bags of Indian hemp locally known as Chamba.
Appearing before the Blantyre Senior Resident Magistrate Byson Masonga, the convict John pleaded guilty to the charge after being forced and threatened.
Although, the boy asked for a lenient sentence ill-minded judge just red the verdict without Mussa’s parent. Mussa Mother however expressed worrisome on how police officers handle the matter arguing that her child did not commit any crime.
“We tried to reason with these unprofessional police officers that my child was found in the house of a friend. Even the said bags of Indian hemp were not found in my house.
“These unprofessional police officers told me to look for the house owner if we wanted our child to be out of cell. Its when we learnt that Mussa was sentenced to eight years without presence of us in the court. I want my son back,” demands boy Mussa Mother,
Meanwhile Malawians on socio- media through Gerald Chavez Kampanikiza are jointly make contributions to support the lawyers so that the young man’s sentence can be revisited at the High Court of Malawi.
Kampanikiza said the lawyers are not charging for their services but the support will help them with filing fees, fuel and whatever can compensate the lawyers time.
“We are not against the sentencing for we know that it was done in order to send a strong warning to the would-be-offenders, Mussa, young as he is, he was supposed to be at school and not engaging in illegal business of selling Indian hemp [Chamba,” says Kampanikiza.
Social media users have described the sentencing of Mussa John as totally injustice relating to similar cases committed by Castel Malawi Managing Director Herve Milhade who was fined MK1 million for being found cultivating hemp with a total of 59 plants and Allan Ntata who was fined MK100,000 for being found in possession and attempting to export Cannabis Sativa.
For More News And Analysis About Malawi Follow Africa-Press
