Some police officers claim they have not been paid their allowances since last July for guarding President Bingu wa Mutharika’s private Ndata Farm in Thyolo.
The Police Mobile Service (PMS) officers on Tuesday claimed the allowances are in excess of K20 million (about $119 760). They claimed they have made several reminders to authorities but the allowances remain unsettled and accumulating.
National police spokesperson Davie Chingwalu could not respond to a questionnaire sent to him on the issue. But he said the aggrieved officers know where to lodge their complaints if they have any, and not through the media.
The officers said 40 operatives from PMS B Company in Limbe, E Company in Zomba and Mitole Camp in Chikhwawa are dispatched to Ndata Farm fortnightly on rotational basis.
Said one of the officers: “Whenever we are embarking on this assignment, we are supposed to receive K37 000 for two weeks, but because the Southern Region Police Headquarters provides us with a package of rice, and beef, that amount is cut down to K15 000.
“But to make matters worse, we are dispatched without even payment of that K15 000 on understanding it is going to be settled later. But days have turned into weeks, weeks into months; we are not being paid that money, some of us since July last year.”
The officers said the situation is frustrating because they leave behind their families with nothing to support them and life becomes unbearable in the field because they operate on empty pockets with no penny for incidentals.
Presidential spokesperson Hetherwick Ntaba, asked if the President is aware of the claims, expressed surprise that the officers opted to go to the media instead of their bosses.
Ntaba said he has no information on the claimed unsettled allowances.
