Police in Blantyre have arrested former Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Director General Aubrey Sumbuleta over sexual abuse of employees at the public broadcaster.
National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera said Sumbuleta was arrested at his home in Mpingwe.
“The arrest follows recommendations from the MHRC (Malawi Human Rights Commission) inquiry report on sexual abuse at MBC against him,” said Kadadzera.
Sumbuleta is currently in police custody at Limbe Police Station.
An inquiry by the Malawi Human Rights Commission released on March 29 revealed that Sumbuleta used his power to sexually abuse four women at the public broadcaster.
According to the report, more than eight women accuse Sumbuleta of sexually abusing them but only four were willing to testify against the former MBC. The women were identified by pseudonyms in the report.
One of the employees Chikondi Phiri said she met Sumbuleta in 2010 at his office while he was working as Deputy Director of Information in the Ministry of Information.
“Sumbuleta pounced on her, grabbed her buttocks and wanted to kiss her, she managed to push him away and run out of the office,” the report said.
Sumbuleta, during the probe, admitted having a sexual relationship with Tadala Mussa in 1997. MHRC found that Mussa was 15 at the time.
Sumbuleta was appointed MBC DG in 2015 and Mussa who works at corporation said she was invited to Sumbuleta’s office when at odd hours and on one occasion he fished out his penis and asked her to “help him”.
“She tried to flee but the door was locked. He then asked her to bend her waist and pull her dress so he could masturbate and ejaculate while seeing her nakedness. She refused and he eventually opened the door and let her out,” said the report.
