Court jails Nkasi cattle rustler for two years

NKASI District Court in Rukwa region has sentenced a resident from Solola village in Sumbawanga district, Kija Muhimira (32), to two years in jail after it found him guilty of stealing five cows valued at more than 4.2m/-.

The trial magistrate, Mr Ramadhani Rugemalira, in his judgement on Monday, said he was satisfied that the prosecution side had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the accused did commit the crime.

The prosecution, led by Assistant Inspector of Police, Mr Hamimu Gwelo, had summoned four witnesses to substantiate its case while the accused had none. Mr Rugemalira also ordered the cow which was presented in court by the prosecution as an exhibit to be returned to its owner.

According to the magistrate, the accused was first arraigned in court on December 5, last year. While reading his judgment, the magistrate said the accused committed the crime on November 30, last year, in Ntuchi village in Nkasi district, where he stole five cows worth 4,200,050/-, the property of Jeshi Charles (36).

Mr Rugamalira further told the court that the accused was arrested on December 4 , last year, in Miyombo village while looking for prospective buyers of a cow which was later identified to be among the five stolen from Jeshi.

The court was told that the accused had already sold the other three stolen cows. However, in mitigation, the convict maintained that he was innocent and that the cow which he was found with was in fact his.

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