The First Grade Magistrate Court in Kasungu has issued a verdict ordering UTM Youth Campaign Director Alick Saini, a resident of Kasankha Village in the area of Traditional Authority Kaomba in Kasungu, to pay a fine of K5 million. In the event of non-payment, he will face five years of imprisonment with hard labor for causing grievous harm.
The court was informed that on September 1, 2023, 47-year-old Saini engaged in a dispute at a local drinking establishment with Chisomo Kepha, the Youth Director for the Malawi Congress Party, who is from Chiwaliwali village in the area of Traditional Authority Kalumo in Ntchisi. This dispute escalated into a physical altercation, during which Saini bit Kepha on the nose, resulting in his subsequent arrest.
Saini pleaded guilty during his court appearance last week and appealed for a lenient sentence, pointing to the amicable relationship between the two parties. However, in the judgment delivered on Monday, First Grade Magistrate Jones Masula considered the injury inflicted on the victim and deemed that the accused warranted a more severe penalty to serve as a deterrent to potential offenders.
Consequently, the court ordered Saini to pay K550,000 to the state and K5 million to Kepha. Of the K5 million, K1.5 million must be remitted immediately, with the remaining balance to be settled in instalments over a period of six months.
