Chorister beaten up, undressed in church

Highly incensed worshippers of Soul Winners Church in Lilongwe last Thursday beat up and stripped naked one of their own, Artness Kaombe, over allegations of promiscuity.

Kaombe, 32, confirmed the assault in a telephone interview Thursday night, saying: “I am in a state of shock. How can a church eventually turn into a boxing ring for disciplining wayward members?”
According to Kaombe, the incident happened during a meeting to hear her side of the story.
“But as I was explaining, one of the members descended on me with fist fights. Honestly, I could not believe what was happening,” she said, adding that she was treated as an outpatient at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH).
Added Kaombe: “They left me with an underwear only. I reported the matter to Area 3 Police Station, which moved in quickly to arrest them. They are currently out on bail pending trial in the coming days.”
Founder and overseer of the church, Pastor Maurice Katema, confirmed in a telephone interview on Friday that the devil indeed took charge of emotions of his flock, leading to blows to flying in the temple.
While confirming the arrest and release on bail of the said church members, Lilongwe Police Station spokesperson Kingsley Dandaula disputed assertions that the police had advised the church to resolve the issue as a family.
According to Dandaula, officers from their Criminal Investigations Department (CID) are currently gathering evidence to enable them successfully argue the case in court.
“Currently, the only evidence we have is a medical report the victim produced,” he said.