A court in Zomba has acquitted an employee of Smallholder Farmers Fertilizer Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) on theft by servant charges.

The employee, Patrick Chamwala has been acquitted of the charge of theft by servant by the Senior Resident Magistrate Court sitting at Zomba.

Chamwala, who served as a Sales Clerk for SFFRFM at its Jali depot, was alleged to have stolen 200 bags of Urea fertilizer which was meant for beneficiaries at Chisi Island in Zomba during the 2022/23 farming season.

When arrested and brought before the Court, Chimwala denied the charge and applied for legal aid.

When granted, he was represented in Court by Senior Legal Aid Advocate Martin Dalas with assistance from Assistant Legal Aid Officer Tiyamike Kamtukule.

The prosecution paraded five witnesses in Court to prove that Chimwala stole the said 200 bags of fertilizer.

Among them were the supposed beneficiaries, who stated that Chamwala never delivered to them the fertilizer even though they had paid subsidized fees for the same.

In his defence, Chamwala told the Court that the allegations were unfounded since the stock reconciliation indicated no shortfalls in the distribution of the fertilizer.

Even though it was alleged that 200 bags were stolen, the prosecution did not show the Court evidence of 200 names of intended beneficiaries who did not receive the said bags of fertilizer.

Delivering her judgement, Her Worship Mercy Bonongwe agreed with the defence's submissions that mere shortage of stock is no proof of theft, and proceeded to acquit Chamwala of the charge.