Agriculture Ministry employees arrested for stealing treadle pumps

Six employees of Ministry of Agriculture and a truck driver have been arrested in Lilongwe following their involvement in the sale of treadle pump parts worth half a million Kwacha.

Police said the civil servants sold the treadle pump parts to the truck driver who wanted to sell the equipment in Tanzania.

The employees are supervisor Abel Khanje, 56, Senior Clerk Zelifa Molande, 43, Procurement Officer Annie Sawasawa, 51, Workshop Foreman Moffat Mwachande, 40, and 46 year-old Falesi Banda while the driver is Moffat Banda, 53.

Central Region Police Public Relations Officer Nolliettie Chihana said the driver was arrested on January 13 at Malangalanga area in Lilongwe where he was found with treadle pump parts in his truck registration number T518 AKL.
When asked, the driver said he bought the parts from the six Ministry Of Agriculture employees.

“Our Criminal Investigations Department (CID) made an effort to find out from Principal Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture and the Director of Irrigation and they both denied authorising the sale of the equipment,” Chihana explained.

The driver will answer the charge of receiving stolen property which is contrary to section 328 of the penal code while two of the employees who are Khanje and Mwachande will answer the charge of theft by servant which is contrary to section 283 (1) of penal code.

The other four employees will answer the charge of conspiracy which is contrary to section 404 of the penal code.