By SYLVIA MWEETWA  –
THE Kabwe Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a traditional healer to seven years imprisonment with hard labour for theft of a motor vehicle.
Sanonisi Musa Banda was facing a charge of theft of a motor vehicle.
He stole a Toyota Ipsum registration number ACT 1640 worth K35,000 belonging to Precious Pelekelo.
During trial, Ms Pelekelo told Magistrate Chimuka Mutafela that the accused asked if he could use her vehicle to go and collect medicine as at that particular period she was receiving treatment for her abdominal pains which the accused was administering.
She explained during examination in chief by the State that she agreed to give the vehicle to the accused who was her brother-in-law but he failed to return the vehicle and efforts to reach him by phone also proved futile.
After several attempts, she then managed to reach the convict through his mobile phone and when asked why he did not take back the vehicle as agreed, he said that he had a puncture on his way back.
She told the court that the accused had at the same time travelled to Malawi, which forced her to report the matter to police.
The arresting officer in the matter, Wickson Mumba, said he investigated the theft of a motor vehicle case and travelled to Malawi after being informed that the vehicle had been left in Malawi.
Banda denied the charges, stating that he was given the vehicle as a payment for allegedly being tasked to kill the complainant’s rival who was believed to have been going out with her husband.
He claimed that he was not a killer, but only gave medicine to the complainant in the matter so that her husband could love her again.
However, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to seven years and that it was clear from the evidence adduced in the court that he obtained the vehicle fraudulently.