The Principal Resident Magistrate Court in Zomba has sentenced 49-year-old Mustafa Kaunda to four years imprisonment with hard labour and ordered the forfeiture of his Toyota Sienta, registration number MHG 4048, together with 880 litres of petrol to the Malawi Government.
Deputy Public Relations Officer for Eastern Region Police, Sub Inspector Tionge Kayenda, confirmed the development to TheTruth Malawi.
According to Kayenda, the court heard through Inspector Patrick Chipote that Kaunda and his driver, 33-year-old Ibrahim Yusuf, were arrested by Eastern Region Police detectives on August 12, 2025, after being found transporting 880 litres of petrol in drums without proper documentation.
Both Kaunda and Yusuf pleaded not guilty, but the court found them guilty on three counts: transporting fuel without a licence, failing to produce relevant documentation, and disobeying a lawful order from the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) prohibiting the transportation of fuel in drums.
In mitigation, the convicts asked for leniency, saying they were first-time offenders. Yusuf further argued that he was merely following his employer’s instructions.
However, Inspector Chipote pressed for custodial sentences, noting that such offences are common and premeditated. He also requested that the vehicle used in the crime be seized by the state.
Principal Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe upheld the prosecution’s argument, stressing that the MERA prohibition is intended to safeguard public safety and prevent fuel scarcity. He said the convicts showed no remorse and had deliberately planned the crime.
Kaunda was sentenced to four years imprisonment with hard labour, while Yusuf was fined K400,000, which he has since paid. Both men hail from Chaphuka Village, Traditional Authority Bwananyambi in Mangochi District.
