Police in Lilongwe have arrested two men for being found with national identity (ID) cards and cash taken from beneficiaries of the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP).
Lilongwe Police Station Publicist, Sub-Inspector Joseph Kachikho identified the suspects as Charles Banda, 42, and Happy Chimono, 39.
Kachikho said Banda and Chimono were arrested on Wednesday by Nathenje Police Post officers.
He added that the police were tipped that some unscrupulous vendors were collecting additional money from beneficiaries at Nathenje ETG Depot.
“They claimed that they would assist the beneficiaries acquire the inputs easily. Police arrested the suspects before seizing four IDs and K48,000 cash,” he said.
The suspects will appear in court soon to answer a charge of being found in possession of property suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
Banda comes from Kalengamadzi Village, while Chimono hails from Kasese Village both in the area of Chadza in Lilongwe.
Meanwhile, police have urged fertilizer subsidy program beneficiaries to be extra careful with unscrupulous traders.
In a related development, Police in Ntchisi have arrested two men for being found with National ID’s from different beneficiaries.
According to Sub Inspector Richard Mwakayoka Kaponda, Public Relations Officer for Ntchisi Police Station, the two Suspects have been identified as Lobiam Shumba (aged 48) and Naphtali Malosoni (aged 35) who were arrested on November 10, 2020 at Ntchisi ETG.
He said police received a tip that sellers were telling beneficiaries at Ntchisi ETG, who were on the queue that they would be assisted fast to buy fertilizer, and in the process demanding additional money on top of the required amount of k4,495 per bag.
“The Suspects were arrested and (20) National ID’s were recovered as well as Cash amounting to K66,000,” he said.
