A-41-year old man is in Police custody in the capital Lilongwe for allegedly obtaining money amounting to over K2.8 million from local farmers by false pretense.

Lilongwe Police Station Public Relations Officer (PRO) Inspector Kingsley Dandaula confirmed of the development in an interview with the Press and identified the suspect as Chikafa Bisalomu.

According to Dandaula, the suspect told farmers that he was the founder of Tilime and Women Association, an organisation purportedly dealing in agro-business.

Dandaula said the suspect asked farmers to pay K1, 400 as deposit for either rice, soya or maize seeds saying his organisation would later supply them with fertilizer.

“The suspect pocketed money amounting to K2, 804,850 from the unsuspecting farmers,” said Dandaula.

Dandaula said the arrest followed a tip-off by some of the farmers who after realizing that the suspect was refusing to issue them receipts for their ‘deposits’ smelled fish and reported the matter to police.

He was arrested at Chiseka in the district after he failed to provide, to the law enforcers, registration certificates for his organisation.

Bisalomu who hails from Chimbayo village in the area of Traditional Authority Kabudula in the district will appear in court soon.