National News

Police brutality rears its ugly head again

 

A Blantyre based 25-year-old street vendor is fighting anger and pain after he allegedly was assaulted by a police officer at Limbe Police Station.

McJoe Alfred, a resident of Manje Township in Malawi’s commercial city Blantyre, sells samoosas in Limbe and was allegedly arrested and put in cell on December 7 2016 by Blantyre City Council patrol rangers for illegal vending.

In an interview yesterday, Alfred said around 7pm on the day of the arrest, he requested the police officer on duty to visit the toilet and was allowed.

“But upon returning from the toilet, I found a different officer who accused me of trying to escape. He took me to another room and started beating me with handcuffs. I got injured in the head, right hand, and right eye,” he claimed.

Alfred: He beat me with handcuffs

The victim also claimed the police officer used a chain to beat him and tried to choke him.

The following day as he was about to be taken to court, some officers are said to have observed that he was badly hurt and issued a medical report form for him to receive treatment.

A report from Limbe Health Centre dated December 8 2016 which The Nation has seen, confirms that Alfred suffered a swollen eye and multiple wounds on his scalp and limbs.

He was then referred to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital where he was further referred to the Eye Department for further examination. Meanwhile, Alfred is scheduled to see an eye specialist this Friday.

When contacted yesterday, Limbe Police Station deputy spokesperson Pedzesai Zembeneko only said: “We have heard about the issue, we will investigate to find out what exactly transpired.”

But the Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (Chreaa) has condemned, in absolute terms, the alleged police brutality against remandees.

Chreaa executive director Victor Mhango said his office weekly receives more than five complaints of police brutality from different stations.

“Chreaa does not take this case and other cases of police brutality lightly. We believe that the police should exhibit professionalism when conducting themselves and these cases do the police service very little justice in clearing misconceptions about their brutality,” he said.

Added Mhango: “We call upon police to act decisively with officers found guilty of exerting excessive force on remandees.” n

Related Articles

Back to top button