Mzuzu prison recaptures a 23year old fugitive
Mzuzu Prison Officers on Monday this week recaptured a 23 year old fugitive who escaped from custody about two years ago.
The recapture of the fugitive followed a tip from well-wishers about his whereabouts in the city.
Joseph Chirwa, 23, of Maona Village, T/A Mtwalo in Mzimba District, escaped from Mzuzu Prison on May 4, 2013, having served five months only of his fifteen month jail term.
He was convicted on 9th January, 2013 after being found guilty of theft by the Magistrate Court in Mzuzu.
Soon after escaping from prison, Chirwa went to Jenda in the district where he laid low for about four months at his grandmother’ s house before deciding to return in the city at Luwinga where he worked as a carpenter at a certain coffin workshop.
According to Mzuzu Prison Publicist, Macbeth Wasambo, Chirwa escaped while he was doing some construction works at the female prison section together with other prisoners.
“Upon receiving a tip, the prison service deployed five prison officers to recapture the escapee who, at this time, was working at Luwinga Coffin workshop within the city,” said Wasambo.
The prison PRO said since these cases are rare, the recapture of Chirwa will sound an alarm to other prisoners who also harbour intentions to escape, that Mzuzu prison will not just sit and watch them do that.
Meanwhile, Joseph Chirwa is expected to appear before the court of law to answer charges of escaping from a lawful custody.
