Police in Ndirande Township in the commercial capital Blantyre have arrested former Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) employee five security guards over stolen prepaid meters.
Blantyre Police Public Relations Officer Sub-inspector Augustus Nkhwazi confirmed of the arrest in a statement made available to faceofmalawi.
According to Nkhwazi, ESCOM officials led by Henry Manyenje in October this year officials discovered one unregistered ESCOM pre-paid meter in Chirimba Blantyre.
The development forced management to instruct their auditors to carry out an audit at it’s warehouse located at Makata Industrial site within Blantyre.
“The audit revealed that over four hundred (400) pre-paid meters and key pads were missing from the warehouse. Matter was reported to Ndirande Police sub-station.
“Police investigations led to the arrest of five security guards who were providing security at the warehouse. When quizzed during interrogation, the guards confessed to have been stealing the pre-paid meters and that they were selling them to Jonathan Robert Chirwa 43 of Kasito-Bondo village T/A Kafuzira in Nkhotakota a former employee of ESCOM,” reads the statement.
Added Nkhwazi: “Police search at Chirwa’s house in Mbayani township on Wednesday November 8, 2017 led to recovery of twenty (20) meters, fifteen (15) keypads and numerous ESCOM application forms. Chirwa was arrested forthwith.”
Chirwa has since been charged with a case of receiving property unlawfully contrary to section 328 (2) of the penal code while the five security guards will answer charges of Theft by Servant contrary to section 286 (1) of the penal code.
The suspects will appear before court as soon as investigations are finalised to answer the charges.
The five security guards are; Fandasi Seteya 25 of Namphungo T/A Juma in Mulanje, Michael Sinala 27 of Chalura T/A Chakhumbira in Ntcheu, Malowe Chirwa 34 of Chibwana village T/A Mankhambera in Nkhata-Bay, Alfred Nansongole 32 of Kimu village T/A Mwambo in Zomba and Francis Harry 39 of Namitambo village T/A Kadewere in Chiradzulu.
