The convict, Cecilia Liotcha
* Police prosecutor dismissed Cecilia Liotcha’s plea for leniency, stating that her conduct was a complete betrayal of her sister’s trust
* Instead of safeguarding her sister’s property, she chose to abuse the responsibility entrusted to her
* Her actions were not only criminal but also a serious breach of the trust placed to her by her sister — hence pleaded for a stiffer penalty
By Duncan Mlanjira
If not your sibling, whom can you trust not to stab you in the back? — This is what a Mangochi resident was torn in between but was forced to have her own sister, Cecilia Liotcha, arrested for stealing her household property worth K12 million.
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A report by Mangochi Police Station’s public relations officer, lnspector Amina Tepani Daudi, indicate that Cecilia Liotcha was entrusted to safeguard her elder sister’s home whilst she travelled to South Africa — only for the younger sibling to sell some of her valuable household items.
Daudi reports that Mangochi Second Grade Magistrate’s Court has since convicted and sentenced Cecilia (31) to three years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) for committing theft of bicycle and general theft, contrary to sections 271 and 278 of the Penal Code respectively.
The police report says the court heard through state prosecutor, Sub Inspector Grace Mindozo, that from mid-last year, the convict had been entrusted with looking after her elder sister’s property who is in South Africa for work.
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“However, last week, one of their brothers discovered that several items were missing from the house, that included a Nissan half-ton engine, a cylinder, a bumper, two car batteries, tyres, 60 litres of paint, 12 door frames and two mountain bikes — all valued at K12 million.
“The matter was reported to Mangochi Police Station, and investigations were immediately launched, leading to Liotcha’s arrest. Some of the stolen property were later recovered from a businessman within the township.”
Daudi further says in court, Liotcha pleaded guilty to both charges and asked for leniency, stating that her two-year-old son would suffer if jailed — however, in her submission, prosecutor Mindozo dismissed the plea for leniency, indicating that Liotcha’s conduct “was a complete betrayal of trust”.
Instead of safeguarding the property, she chose to abuse the responsibility entrusted to her, prosecutor Mindozo told the Court, adding that Liotcha’s actions “were not only criminal but also a serious breach of the trust placed to her by her sister — hence pleaded for a stiffer penalty”.
Daudi’s report says in his ruling, Second Grade Magistrate, Joshua Chirambo agreed with the prosecution’s determination and sentenced Liotcha — from Mapira Village, Traditional Authority Mapira in Mangochi — to three years imprisonment with hard labour for theft of bicycle and two years for the other theft, with the sentences to run concurrently.
This kind of defrauding relatives based in diaspora is very common by Malawians, whose victims choose to suffer in silence and perhaps the bold actions of Cecilia’s action is a huge lesson people must take a leaf from.
There have been reports of Malawians in diaspora sending money as investment back home by entrusting their relations, to build decent houses for them — only for the relatives, including their own parents, siblings, uncles and aunts, to divert the funds for their personal use.
These relations would send pictures of other people’s house constructions from foundation up to completion, deceitfully painting pictures of progress whilst demanding more funds and by the time the investor returns home, they would discover they had been defrauded of millions.
One victim, who is in close touch with this reporter — after discovering she had been duped by her own brother, having spent millions to have a house constructed for her in Malawi whilst she was earning money the hard way in UK — confided that she was returning to London and stressed she would never return.
Many other victims chose to suffer in silence, probably thinking it would be taboo to have their siblings or other relatives be arrested to force them to refund the money they invested — and perhaps the case of the South Africa-based Mangochi resident sets a precedent that it is still criminal to defraud your own sibling.
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