A Malawi Police officer has been arrested for mobilising the mob that stormed a Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) camp on Sunday.
The officer has been identified as Zyulio Pondamali who works at Namitete Police Station.
According to MRA Head of Corporate Affairs Steven Kapoloma, Pondamali’s minibus, a Nissan Caravan registration number MH 7256, was involved in an accident while conveying smuggled goods.
The minibus is said to have overturned near Guilleme turn off due to a tyre burst as a result of over speeding. The accident led to the death of the minibus driver.
Pondamali then mobilized the mob and ferried the group to the MRA camp to destroy it as he claimed that the minibus got involved in the accident while being pursued by MRA’s Flexible Anti-Smuggling Team (FAST).
The mob was stopped by Mchinji Malawi Police Service and communities around Ludzi turn-off.
Meanwhile, Kapoloma has dismissed Pondamali’s claims.
“The Authority would like to put it on record that its FAST operation in Mchinji was not involved in the accident. FAST was not in pursuit of the minibus as alleged by Pondamali since the patrol team was not in the area where the accident occurred,” said Kapoloma.
Pondamali is under arrest at Mchinji Police Station and more arrests are expected as investigations are ongoing.
