Police in Kanengo, Lilongwe, arrest 39-year-old Maliana Mwalwimba for allegedly stealing a newborn baby.

According to Kanengo Police spokesperson Linly Mwale, on August 11 of this year, a woman gave birth to a baby girl at a small hospital in Area 25. The suspect, who is believed to be the stepmother of the baby, was responsible for the baby’s care.

Police say that the suspect, along with her husband and accomplices, left the hospital riding three motorbikes to return to their home after being discharged from the hospital. However, the suspect is alleged to have left the hospital with the newborn but later claimed she was involved in a motorbike accident and that the baby had been taken by someone else.

The woman who was supposed to care for the baby was later found to have stolen the newborn. This led to the police arresting her after she arrived in the village without the baby.

Mwalwumba is expected to appear in court to face charges of theft and to provide false testimony. She is originally from Muyang’ombe village under Chief Kyungu in Karonga District.