According to news reaching the desk of CEOAFRICA.com from Malawi, a First Grade Magistrate Court at Liwonde in Machinga has sentenced a man to five years in jail for stealing a laptop computer and its accessories.

James Lupale, 21, was alleged to have stolen the laptop from a Canadian volunteer, James Wattam who was staying with the Lupale family of Kalilima village near Machinga Boma.

It was also gathered that Lupale, after stealing the laptop, went to his friend Harlod Simon of Chingoli village, and hid the laptop there.

While delivering his judgment, First Grade Magistrate, Jones Masula rebuked the action of Lupale, describing it as shameful and disgraceful to the nation.

He said Lupale’s act violates sections 309 and 278 of the penal code because it is burglary and theft.

Sources disclosed that the Magistrate therefore sentenced Lupale to five years imprisonment for burglary and two years imprisonment for theft to run concurrently though the offender asked the court to be lenient because of his old grandfather which he cares for.

Meanwhile, James Wattam has regretted that the offender was sentenced to jail, saying he would have withdrawn the case if he had been given the chance to do so.

Wattam, a third year student at Saskatchewan University in Canada, came to Malawi to work with District Water Development Officer in Machinga under an international organization in the water sector called Engineers without Borders. He has been staying with the Lupale family since May and hopes to leave for Canada on 23 September, this year.