Three teachers, businessman sentenced to serve 579 years

THE Mpanda District’s Court in Katavi Region sentenced three teachers and a business man to jointly serve 579 years in jail after being found guilty of stealing over 21m/- worth of property of Tukoma Primary School in the District.

Similarly, the court also ordered the convicts, after serving their jail terms, to refund to the school the cash they had stolen. The court found the four guilty of 68 counts of stealing 21m/- worth of property of the Tukoma Primary School in Mpanda District here in the region.

The ruling was read on Thursday by the trial Magistrate, Mr Chiganga Ntengwa. The offenders before the court were a Tukoma Primary School teacher , Joel Mwakyusa (37).

Also a resident from Kawajense area in Mpanda township was also convicted to serve 255 years in jail after he was found guilty of 10 counts.

The other offender was the school headteacher Lenatus Ngalo (50), who was sent to serve 148 years in jail after being found guilty of 38 counts of theft.

The other school teacher Joachim Katabi (39) and a businessman Fredrick Mlenje (50) were sentenced to serve 143 years in jail. Reading the ruling which took about two hours, the trial magistrate.

Mr Chiganga told the court that the offenders together and jointly at different times committed the felony in 2009 . Asking for mitigation, the offenders prayed for mercy, saying they had dependants to look after.

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