The incident occurred at yesterday  on 15 September 2024 at Malangalanga, Lilongwe.

The suspects have been identified as Doud Yasin, 38, Francis Sadik, 31, and Alfred Phiri, 30, while the victim is Carolyn Suleman.

On Sunday at around 09:30 hours, the victim received a phone call from unknown person instructing her to visit any airtel money agent to withdraw money.

This is when Carolyn approached the first suspect (Yasin) who was doing airtel money services at Mungo within Malangalanga location.

Then the alleged unknown trickster used the victim’s phone to talk to Yasin, who instructed the first suspect to make three transactions to different contacts totaling to K800,000.

However, when the agent asked for the cash after completing the transactions, the victim denied having cash for the same, saying she unknowingly facilitated the conversation between the alleged trickster and the mobile money agent.

This is when the first suspect dragged the victim into a storeroom at Mungo Premier Bet shop where he also works.

Together with his two accomplices who are all cashiers at the shop, they assaulted the victim before setting her on fire using petrol they siphoned from their employer’s power generator.

The victim was later rushed to Kamuzu Central Hospital where she is currently admitted for her life threatening burns she sustained all over her body.

The suspects will appear in court soon to answer a case of Acts Intended to Cause Grievous Harm.

Doud Yasin comes from Chiyendausiku Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Msamala, Francis Sadick hails from Wiliki Village, T/A Makaya, both in Balaka District, and Alfred Phiri is from Golowa Village, T/A Kuntaja, Blantyre, while the victim hails from Tembwe Village, T/A Tsabango in Lilongwe District.