By ALICE NACHILEMBE
A-46- year old Zambian woman recently sentenced to five years imprisonment in Ethiopia for trafficking in narcotic drugs has died.
Embassy of the Republic of Zambia in Ethiopia, Charge d’ Affaires, Mr Trevor Sichombo, confirmed that Ms Penelope Munge of Itawa Ndola died on Sunday, July 24 2022 after suffering from a partial stroke.
He said Ms Munge was admitted to Addis Ababa Burn Emergency Trauma Hospital in the first week of July but was later discharged and readmitted to Kality Prison clinic.
She later succumbed to the stroke on Sunday.
Mr Sichombo said the family of Ms Munge has since been informed of her untimely death.
He further said the family of the late Ms Munge is in Ethiopia and making efforts to repatriate her remains back to Zambia.
Ms Munge was sentenced to five years imprisonment on June 21, 2022 for being in possession of 2.2 kg of Cocaine, which was implanted in her body.
In her mitigation, Ms Munge had pleaded for leniency, saying she was a first offender and was responsible for taking care of her children because she was a divorcee.
She had stated that she had a chronic illness (Hypertension) that needed consistent medical attention.
But in passing judgment, the Ethiopian High Court observed that cases of drug trafficking had become common and were posing a danger to society hence the need to impose custodial sentences on offenders to deter others from committing the crime.
This is contained in a statement issued by First Secretary-Press & Tourism Zambia Embassy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Inutu Mwanza
