A court in Mangochi, Malawi on Thursday, sentenced a 27-year-old man to eight years in prison for having sex with fellow men.
The man identified Jonathan Gomani and commonly known as Yvonne was found guilty of having sexual intercourse against the order of nature contrary to Section 153(c) of the Penal Code.
Mangochi Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court through State Prosecutor, lnspector Amos Mwase heard that the convict who was born male but used to disguise himself as a woman, came to Mangochi early October and was trading as a commercial sex worker.
He manipulated fellow men with his feminine dressing and was being hooked as a prostitute. He then permitted them to have sexual intercourse against the order of the nature.
He was arrested by Mangochi Police detectives for robbing a 28-year old man of K120,000 cash and Samsung J2 in the room after the customer refused to pay because he discovered that Gomani was not a woman.
Mwase added that when the detectives went to search where Gonani was lodging, they rescued a 17-year-old Form 4 student who was found locked inside the room for 24 hours for refusing to pay Gonani since the child felt cheated.
The convict also confiscated the student’s Huwaei P8 phone as payment for the services.
Appearing in court, Gonani pleaded not guilty to charges of theft and sex against the order of nature and the state paraded five witnesses who proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
In mitigation, the convict asked for leniency saying that he was taking care of his old mother and also acting as a youth member who supplied condoms to sex workers as his responsibilities but Prosecutor Mwase reminded the court that the convict’s behaviour was against morals and law hence prayed for stiffer sentence.
Passing judgement, Senior Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe concurred with the state.
He therefore sentenced Gonani to 8 years for the count of unnatural sex, 3 year sentence for the count of theft and 3 years for another count of theft. The sentences will run concurrently.
