Man sees jail term revised in sex offense

The High Court in Zomba has overturned the conviction and six-year prison sentence of Francis Elesson Chakana, who had been found guilty of having sexual intercourse with a girl believed to be under the age of 18.

Last year, a Magistrate’s Court convicted the 25-year-old Chakana of the offence.

However, through the Legal Aid Bureau (LAB), he appealed to the High Court seeking a review of both the conviction and the sentence.

Chakana’s lawyer, Collen Nyirenda, argued that the prosecution had failed to provide documentary evidence proving that the complainant was under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged offence.

After obtaining the complainant’s birth certificate, it was established that she had already turned 18 when the incident occurred.

Following this finding, High Court Judge Dick Sankhulani quashed both the conviction and the six-year sentence.