Nsanje Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Jail for Forgery
Charles Kuleti, 48, jailed 18 months for forged banknotes. - Cornelius Lupenga, writes Cornelius Lupenga.
NSANJE, Malawi-A 48-year-old man from Nsanje, Charles Kuleti, was sentenced to 18 months in jail on Tuesday for possession of forged banknotes, writes Cornelius Lupenga.
Kuleti was arrested on May 18, 2023, after he attempted to use fake K5,000 banknotes to transact via Airtel Money and TNM Mpamba at Nsanje Trading Centre.
At the time of his arrest, Kuleti was found with K300,000 in fake banknotes.
He pleaded guilty to the charge, which is contrary to Section 366 of the Penal Code.
In mitigation, Kuleti asked for leniency, saying he was a first-time offender and that the money he attempted to transact was recovered.
The prosecution, however, asked for a custodial sentence, saying that forgery is a serious crime that defrauds people.
In passing sentence, First Grade Magistrate Watson Mankhanamba said that he took into account Kuleti's guilty plea, but that he also needed to deter others from committing similar crimes.
He sentenced Kuleti to pay a fine of K250,000 or, in default, to serve 18 months in jail.
The magistrate also ordered that the fake banknotes be forfeited to the Reserve Bank of Malawi.
Kuleti is from Nthukuso village in the area of Senior Chief Malemia in Nsanje district.