Malawi court sentences Pakistan man to16 years in jail

The Zomba Magistrate Court in Malawi has
sentenced a Pakistan national, Jaral Raja to 16 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year- old girl.

State Assistant Prosecutor, Josophine Chigawa
told the court that Jaral Raja a businessman
trading as Asante Cash and Carry at Liwonde
Township had been sexually abusing the victim
between 13th and 19th August 2016.

According to her, it all started when the victim
who couldn't be named for legal reasons
approached the offender offering to sell him her
camera to raise more money to enable her travel to Zomba to visit her grandparents, but she
ended up being convinced to work as a house-
maid and earn money that way.
After the deal materialized, Jaral Raja started to
defile the girl who could not force herself out since she was always locked inside the house.
When the matter finally came to limelight, the law
enforcers stormed his house and launched a
search only to find the girl being hidden inside a
deep freezer which was not connected to electricity.

The 33-year-old was immediately arrested while
the victim was taken to Machinga District
Hospital where it was confirmed that she was
indeed defiled.

Appearing before the Chief Resident Magistrate
Agness Patemba, the convict was charged with
two counts of defilement which is contrary to
Section 138 (1) of the Penal Code and Child
Trafficking contrary to Section 79 (1) of the Child
Care, Protection and Justice Act.

In passing her judgment, the Magistrate,
therefore, slapped Jaral Raja to 16 years
imprisonment for defilement and nine years for
child trafficking that will run concurrently.