The Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday released on bail seven police officers arrested for allegedly defrauding government about K781 million.
Presiding magistrate Shyreen Chirwa granted the suspects bail after each paid K100 000 cash. She outlined other bail conditions as K10 million non-cash surety, surrender of travel documents to the court, cooperation in further investigations and seeking permission from prosecution and investigations offices before travelling outside duty station.
The suspects are Malawi Police Service director of finance Tadius Samveka, officer-in-charge of audit Kingsley Mzuma, service pay master Howkins Chadzandiyani, in-charge of treasury office Chimwemwe Banda Mbwela, in-charge of advance section Enock Chulu and two accounts assistants Ngalipa Chiramiramadzi and Suzgo Mwamlima.
The suspects did not take plea, but were formally charged with six counts of fraudulent false accounting, theft , forgery of stamp, forgery, uttering false document and money laundering.
The charge sheet indicated that the suspects, between July 2018 and June 2020, allegedly falsified a welfare club account number held at National Bank of Malawi and belonging to Malawi Police by depositing government revenue cheques for service charges meant to be deposited into Malawi Government Account Number One.
The State, led by Malawi Police officer-in-charge for prosecution Mwabi Kaluba, did not object to the bail and informed the court that the audit report allegedly implicating the suspects was available and that investigations were concluded.
In an interview after the court session, one of the lawyers representing the suspects, Enock Chibwana, said he was relieved that his client was released.
The magistrate adjourned the matter to December 10 2020.
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