Police demotes 47 officers, recommends 7 for dismissal
The Malawi Police Service (MPS) has punished 83 of its officers nationwide for various misconducts.
Of those sanctioned, Blantyre Police has the largest number, according to an MPS communication to police officers we have seen.
From Blantyre police station alone, the service has demoted 32 officers, including 25 females, from either Sergeant or Sub-Inspector to Constable, according to the letter signed by MPS human resource management director Dennis Chipao dated April 14 2022.
They were charged with counts ranging from “leaving the post without authority contrary to Section 52(2) of Police Act, entering a place licensed to sell intoxicating liquor while on duty contrary to the same Police Act, and wilfully disobeying lawful orders given by a superior in rank.”
MPS has also recommended seven officers from different stations to the Police Service Commission (PSC) for dismissal for getting intoxicated with liquor while on duty or being absent without leave of authority, among other wrongdoings.
Sixteen other officers also face demotions, six from Lilongwe Police Station, two each from Kanengo and Kasungu Police Stations and one each from Lumbadzi, Lingadzi, Rumphi, Chilumba and Mchinji Police Stations as well as from Police Mobile Force Division.
At least 29 officers have been slapped with “seven to two days pay for conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline contrary to Section 52(2) schedule 23 of Police Act.”
The action follows a National Disciplinary Committee meeting held in Mangochi last month to review disciplinary cases, according to the communication which further says those aggrieved by the decision of the committee may within 14 days appeal to PSC.
Reads the letter in part: “The station disciplinary committee sentenced the rank to three days’ pay for first count and severe reprimand for the second count but the National Disciplinary Committee enhanced the sentence from three days’ pay to reduction in rank from Sub-Inspector to Constable for the first count and confirmed the sentence of severe reprimand for the second count.”
Inspector General (IG) George Kainja in an interview on Thursday confirmed the developments, saying discipline is the bedrock of all policing, without which, many things are bound to go wrong.
Said Kainja: “Officers absent themselves from work without leave; they leave their duty posts without authority; they disobey lawful orders given by their superiors; service standards are not adhered to; and many other breaches occur. When this happens, it is the poor Malawian who loses out. Crime rates and fear of crime increase in the population; officers become less accountable in the use of public resources as well as in the use of legal and constitutional powers.”
The IG noted that officer indiscipline is an old phenomenon in the MPS, adding that what is different now is that the level of intolerance against acts of indiscipline has increased significantly and no filth is being hidden under the carpet.
“We also have seen cases of officers who have been rehabilitated courtesy of prompt disciplinary action. The ‘bad apples’ who refuse to reform after the administration of these measures will be offloaded without hesitation,” said Kainja.
But some sources within MPS who did not want to be mentioned said some of the demoted females at Blantyre Police Station had sought clearance from their superiors to travel to Mangochi for a social retreat and that it was granted.
According to the sources the group was called to return to the station for other duties by another boss.
Said the source: “So, you can imagine the officers were at the time already on their way to Mangochi and were drinking beer and having fun. The officers returned to the station and after work they went to a nearby bottle store to finish the drinks and beef which was meant for the retreat in Mangochi.”
One of the demoted female officers confided in this paper that individuals in the affected intend to appeal the decision of the committee. n
