Revealed: Malawi Police officers pocketing MK120 thousand a month from illegal bail

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Malawi Police

Some Police officers in the country are pocketing up to MK120 thousand a month collected from suspects who are paying for what is supposed to be free police bail, Malawi24 can reveal.

Unscrupulous officers involved in the racket have devised ways to evade top officials by insisting that suspects pay them cash at police stations.

Records show that many of the cases are not taken to court after the suspects pay the bail.

However, those who pay are later coerced to forfeit the money.

Malawi Police
Police officers: Very corrupt.

Citing the issue to this publication, one Police officer who opted for anonymity, said most police officers who demand money usually threaten the suspects with a number of years one would get in relation to the offence committed.

Malawi24 has also established that several Police Stations use cash bail books that are forget and not of Malawi government.

Most police Officers have acquired a parallel set of cash bail receipt books which they use to siphon money from suspects.

This is the reason why Police do not serve suspects with documents like the notice to attend Court, Notice of Intended Prosecution, or even papers to compel court attendance.

Besides this, there have been allegations that in some cases, police enhance the offence to more serious ones with the aim of making the suspects pay higher bail, which they later forfeit and the charges are dropped.

In one instance that has just happened in Blantyre at Nathoka Police Unit and Malawi24 is keenly following, Police are threatening two boys to face rearrest if they don’t settle a balance of Mk5000 thousand they owe.

The boys (name withheld for security reasons) were arrested on 31st November 2015 for buying a stolen digital camera which they later  sold to a pastor.

They were released on bail at 12 midnight upon paying a sum of Mk16000 for bail which they were not given the receipt.

Police at the Unit told them to settle the remaining balance before a day so that they can easily share the money.

Nicholas Gondwa
Gondwa; Says corrupt officers should be reported.

In an interview with this reporter, they described life being hell in the cell.

In their remarks they said Police brutally roughed them up with a slasher. And in the process of beating, one of the boys lost the lower lip of his mouth.

“We are leaving in fear, these Police are threatening to take us back to the cell if we dont settle them a balance of Mk5000. They said they want to share the money among them equally. They said if we don’t pay them where will they eat, ( tikalephela kulipila iwo akadyela kuti)?” They said.

Some of the names of the Security Officers at Nathoka Police Unit in Machinjiri, Blantyre involved in these dirty activities include Mr Kondwani and Mr Navitcha.

Initial findings by Malawi24 revealed that in some cases, corrupt officers insist that suspects pay cash for bail even for offences for which bail is unnecessary.

Those who pay the bail either lose the money or are only refunded a fraction of it in exchange for being spared a court appearance.

National Police Spokesperson when contacted by Malawi24 on Thursday for a comment pointed out that Police bail is free and no suspect is supposed to pay.

Part of bail paper work is written ” to be released on bail of such amount ( Not Paid), meaning its free.

“No any Police top authorities condone such behaviors, be the Inspector General himself is against this. If Police are demanding money from suspects to be given bail its very unfortunate and that’s total corruption.”

“As with Nathoka Police they should be reported to their Authorities at Limbe or Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) so that they can be questioned. Its unprofessional and corruption,”stated Gondwa.

The Malawi Police Service (MPS) is a Malawi Government organ under Ministry of Internal Affairs and Public Security.

Its operations are provided for under the laws of Malawi, notably in the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi and the Malawi Police Service Act (MPS Act).

It’s mandate are to Prevent, investigate and detection of crime, apprehension and prosecution of offenders and maintenance of law and order. Its Vision is to “create a safe and secure Malawi.”

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88 Comments

  1. Kungoti anthu mamadana ndiapol isi chifukwa anakumangani ndimu landu ogwilila inewapolice ndilibe nayevuto mumayamba ndinuno mwe anthu kuuwapasa ndalama mumati bwana kafantatu aka inundiye mukufunaazita mbuzi imadya pameneaimangilila

  2. k5000 thousand kwacha
    31 November

    journalism in Malawi hedeeee!!!!

  3. Chilimba police unit.ulongwe police nde yiiii xachinyengo usanene ndpo mgati kuli mbava ndiye ndizimenez zimakonda katangale

  4. Ver TRUE.Almst every person PALM OILS th officers t FREEDOM.THESE ARE SHAMELESS CORRUPT public officers.It is unfortunate tht their SENIORS ARE JUST WATCHNG as these HEARTLESS pple get rich @ th expense of th UNSUSPECTING & POOR Malawians.

  5. Ngati pa dziko lapansi kuli munthu wolemetsa ndiye ndi wa police amatha kubwela kunyumba kwako kudzakuchedzetsa koma akamapita umumva amwene basi amwene tsopano ndikupita koma bwanji ya fanta, aaaaa!Mulendo wanji.Kodi ku xool ko mumaphunzi lanso njila zopemphela ziphuphu zamacheza? Sindikudabwa anthu awa ali ndi kanthenda ka ziphuphu

  6. frankly speaking dis guyz are doing a very bg job bt BOMA can nt say thnk u by providng gd houses & risk/ house allowancez what do u especk deme to do by de end of a day?. image they do guard millions & millions of money later go home to eat chisoso z it fare?. hw cn a police officer ride a self lock guard service motor vehicle & work wth ds un trained officerz. WE R DE REASON AZ 2 Y POLICE OFFICERZ DO STEAL?

  7. If u think of corruption its Police But in reality if u can manage organise a survey in all Departments thus NGO”s & Governmental u will find the truth about corruption!!!!How can u send ACB Officials to Mzuzu to investigate a case where Police corruptly received K2000 Let alone the officials sleep at Mzuzu Hotel & receive allowances So who is foolin who???U must b crazy Man am so gone!!!!!!!

  8. akamberembere a polisi amenewa,akagwidwa lamuro ligwire ntchito……no one is above the law!

  9. Have u people noticed that kwachuluka ma vakabu enanso amasana ndipo akumagwira simply because they wana get k5,000 bail out from people? They r targeting poor people a lot cause am sure zili common kwambiri m’makomboni. I have seen most of the people especially the youth who don’t even involve themselves in crimes being targeted

  10. Deejay X the problem is that anthu a kumudzi ambiri amakhala ndi mantha ambirinso sadziwa kuwelenga. Ndi chifukwa chake amawalanda ndarama

  11. Watumidwa eti stupid jonalist u think ukalemba zopusazi apa ndiye apolice asiya katangale ‘ nothing u can achieve go to immigration ukaone chinyengo chili kumeneko

    1. Nkhani ya pa Soche yokhayo ndikuivomereza. Pali chinyengo too much. Malo ena ndi Bvumbwe roadblock. Nafenso katundu wathu timamupeza movutikira kwambiri.

  12. In Malawi no one is corrupt free.Even the one reporting this, is corrup .Corruption in Malawi is from top to bottom.Munthe amakhala opanda chinyengo asanagwidwe.

  13. Evn journalists are vry corrupt dan police.They receiv money from politicians to decopaign others so w@???Cashgaters,office manager,etc play corruption so who z police officer to deny money??U who hv rpotd dis when u’l be in cell z wen u’l decide to remain dere or to just pay 3pin,,,,,,the choice wl b yours.kkkk

  14. Apolice kulikonse ndi mbava.inu munali m’turo eti?ine ndiye ndinaziwa kale agalu osakawa. kodi anyani amenewa palibe njira yoti tikhoza kuthana nawo m’chitidwe umenewu?

  15. where to report poti nonse ndi okuba kuyambira traffic,ClD,General duties

    1. Police Bail Is Free Koma Court Bail Is Payable Iam Challenging U Ryt Now, Olo Ukapita Ku Police Yomwe Uli Nayo Pafupi Ukapeza Ma Poster Makoma Olemba Zimenezi

    2. @ Dee Jay Its Nt Free Am Saying Ths Bcz There Iz No Any Law Of Th Land Whc Say So, Challege M Wt Relevant Authority Plz Despite Tht Its Written In Most Of Police Stations Tht Its Free, Read Sec 118 (1)& Sec 119 Of Criminal Procedure & Evidence Code U Wl Agree Wt Me,in Short Its Amatter Of Practice & Nt Amatter Of Law,u Cn Undrstand Beta If U Cn Defferenciate Btwn Bail @ Bail Bond,bail Ya Polic Njawaka Kkkkk! Mind U Nt All Court Bail Are Payable Only To Be Payable Whn Th Acusd Person Fails To Apear B4 Cot For Trial.

  16. Green pasture yawo ndi imeneyo.Amakhuta ndalama ndindani?ngat akumaba ma president.Mpolice ndindani kut nayeso asalaweko ndalama zosakhetsera thukuta.Ngat zakuwawa kathire ufa mu nyanja.

  17. ABWINO TIKAWAPEZE KUTI SOPANO?MALAWI YENSE WAZAZIDWA ND MBAVA SONO NGAT APOLICE ANTHU OT AKULIPIDWA NYUMBANSO AKUKHALA ZABOMA NANGA KULIBWANJI LOVA CHONSECO ALI PA NYUMBA YA RENT APANGE BWANJ?

  18. they were sent to us by government as thieves to catch other thieves among thieves, so nothing surprizng, tonse ndi mbava timangosiyana mabedwe ndi pakubapo,,,,.

    1. kkkk paja amati “tumiza mbava kuti ikagwire mbava’ nde wa police ndi mbava za boma zomwe zimasaka mbava zina, haha nde kuba kwa iwo sizachilendo, hope tamvanapo apa

    1. Apolisi Ndi Abale Athu? Shaaaaaa Umatha Kumwa Nawo Mowa Limodzi Apa Kenako Kuti Uzipita Kwanu Kukugwilaso Vacab Omwewo, Koma Adhaaaaaa Usazaneneso Zimenezo

    2. eyetu imadya pamene aimangirila,nde ukamamwa nawo mowa umakhala kuti wawamangirira pafupi ndi iwe amadziwa kuti adyapo

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