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THE Supreme Court has upheld a 26 and 25 years jail sentences slapped on a couple of Mongu for advertising their three year old son for sale.

Mushekwa Mushenya and Mukela Matakala advertised their son to a businessman Ghedi Musse.

When the charge was read to them, the couple pleaded guilty stating that they advertised their son for sale at K15,000 to spend money on their general livelihood and tackle poverty.
But according to facts presented to court, On April 25,2015, Mushenya and Matakala approached Mr Musse , a man who managed Nasla Beef Company in Senanga and told him that they were selling their son at K60,000.

Astonished by the approach, Mr Musse secretly phoned a police officer who later sent another officer to pose as an employee of Nasla Beef Company.
The officer took out the money and gave it to the couple.

And while the couple was counting the money, the officer pounced on them and apprehended them.
Consequently, Mushenya and Matakala were convicted by the lowers court and committed to the High Court for sentencing.

At the High Court, the couple was sentenced to 26 and 25 years simple and hard labour respectively.

The Court slapped Mushenya with 26 years simple imprisonment as she was the ‘master minder’.

Dissatisfied with the conviction, Mushenya and Matakala appealed arguing that the court below erred to convict them because the particulars of the charge did not disclose the offence.

However, The Supreme Court has dismissed their appeal for lack of merit.
“This therefore is not a case where we would quash the conviction. All in all, the appeal stands dismissed,” Justice Elizabeth Muyovwe stated.

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