The Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dedza has sentenced two cashiers for D&S Event Managers identified as Chikaiko Msinde and Lawrence Kasiya to 30 months imprisonment with hard labour for stealing gate collections amounting to K218, 000.00.
The court through state prosecutor Washie Chilonda heard that on Sunday, September 11, 2022, the duo were assigned as cashiers at Dedza Stadium during a TNM Super League match between Mighty Mukuru Wanderers and Dedza Dynamos Salima Sugar FC.
Chilonda said while collecting gate fees, the two were seen hiding the money in their pockets and were caught red handed by a Wanderers fan.
The prosecutor further told the court that when police searched them, they found the said amount of money inside their pockets.
In mitigation, the two convicts asked the court to be lenient when passing the sentence saying they are first offenders and that they pleaded guilty which shows remorse to what they did.
But passing the sentence, magistrate Clemence Chamwenda quashed their mitigation factors saying the conduct of the two has the potential of bringing down football in the country.
Chamwenda said the behaviour of stealing gate collections is so rampant in the country therefore custodial sentence could be suitable to serve as a deterrence to other would be offenders.
Msinde, 25, and Kasiya, 29, hail from Kasekaminga Village, Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza in Dedza District.
