First Grade Magistrate Billy Ngosi in Chitipa has convicted Phingo Ng’ambi, 49, to 14 years imprisonment for selling his daughter, aged 14 to a Tanzanian.
The police in Chitipa and neighboring Tanzanaia are working hand in hand to locate Monica Ng’ambi who was trafficked on September 7 2017.
Chitipa Police spokesperson Gladwell Simwaka said so far the search has yielded nothing. “It is not known whether the girl is still alive or not,” he said.
The court convicted Ng’ambi of child trafficking contrary to Section 14 of the Trafficking in Person’s Act.
Child trafficking is rampant in Malawi as a result of worsening poverty levels, lack of awareness and lack of resources to help law enforcers in their work.
According to a report released last year, only about 31 percent of the reported cases went to court with only a 50% conviction rate.
