Kawale Police is keeping in custody Rose Mbiri 44 and Zakeyo Sambo 39 for the offence of obtaining money by false pretence.

Spokesperson for Kawale Police Mabvuto Phiri said the two posed as a secretary and human resource officers (HRM) respectively for a bogus company called “First Plan Investment Promotion Agency”.

It is on record that the said company placed an advert in a certain newspaper on May 1, 2022 about a vacancy on data collectors and the same was advertised in different media platforms.

The company promised shortlisted youth of a short training session and later full employment as data collectors.

Many youth flocked to their offices at Kawale 2 and Kauma to try their lucky only to be told to pay a K10,000 registration fee of which many responded positively.

Between May 4 to 19, 2022, over 300 youths were on record to have registered and paid the registration fees, but were not deployed in the places as promised.

Some victims, became suspicious of the deal and immediately reported to police. On May 20,2022 police women on Basadi operation arrested the two who revealed that the founder of the company is Kuliya Laice and is taking care of every transaction.

Further investigations have revealed that Laice bolted upon getting wind of the arrest of his workers.

Mbiri hails from Njonja village in Traditional Authority Kachere in Dedza while Sambo comes from Fikira village in Traditional Authority Mlumbe in Zomba District.

Meanwhile police in the area would like to warn others plotting similar curtails that they will face the long arm of the law.