Mohan Jailed 9 Years With Hard Labour

FORMER Inktech managing director Matthew Mohan has been sentenced in absentia to nine years imprisonment with hard labour.
This is in a matter in which Mohan is jointly charged with Mary Gibbons and court interpreter Maxwell Jiki for corruptly offering KR10,000 (K10 million) to a public officer.

Mohan maintained that he would not be present before the court because he had lodged a complaint and was waiting to be addressed.
Assistant prisons commissioner Chrispin Kaonga told the court that Mohan refused to make himself available before the court.
“He said he has lodged his complaint and has not received feedback, therefore he cannot change his mind. He said it will not make a difference if he does not come because he was not here yesterday [Monday],” Mr Kaonga said.
Lusaka High Court deputy director of court operations Chilombo Phiri proceeded with her sentencing despite Mohan’s absence and his lawyers, saying they were aware that she would be passing her sentence yesterday.
“I am satisfied that the second convict [Mohan] and his lawyers were aware of the sentencing to be done today yesterday). I will proceed to sentence him in absentia,” Ms Phiri said.
On Monday, Mohan refused to go to court for judgement alleging that some named judiciary officials were interfering in his court case.
Mohan believed he could not have a fair trial if the said officials continued to work in the judiciary.
Gibbons was also sentenced to eight years simple imprisonment but Ms Phiri reserved Jiki’s sentencing.
In mitigation, Gibbons’ lawyers said she was a young mother of good reputation and an employer of 30 people and that her children and employees would suffer if she was imprisoned.
The lawyers asked the court to be lenient and accord Gibbons a minimum sentence and offer her a second chance so that she could take care of her children aged six and nine.
“I have heard the mitigation and I
have considered the same but I have also considered the gravity of the offence and the negative impact on society.
“I therefore sentence you to five years in the first count and three years in the second count simple imprisonment but to run concurrently,” Ms Phiri said.
Ms Phiri also wondered why the bench warrant against Jiki was not signed and asked Anti Corruption Commission prosecutor James Mataliro when he will fill out the bench warrant.
She ordered for the arrest of Jiki and that the bench warrant should be extended to his sureties.
Mohan is jointly charged in the first count with Gibbons and Jiki for corrupt practices after they offered KR10,000 to Manda, a public officer.
In the second count, the trio allegedly conspired to obtain and destroy exhibits from a prosecution docket.
Jiki is in the third count charged with being in unlawful possession of US$300 counterfeit notes.
Ms Phiri has since set February 25 for sentencing of Jiki.

Posted by Admin on February 20, 2013. Filed under CRIME. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry