Police in Dedza have arrested a National Registration Bureau (NRB) data clerk who was working with a village headman to sell 190 national identity cards at K14,000 each.
Dedza police deputy publicist Sergeant Cassim Manda has identified the suspects as Adam Sikwese, 42, an NRB data clerk at Dedza, and Group Village Headman (GVH) Kakhome, real name Lotam Saidi, 43.
Their arrest followed a complaint by Samuel Ndende, one of the Affordable Input Programme (AIP) beneficiaries from Chafumbwa village in Dedza West. It is reported that Ndende in January 2022, went to Dedza NRB office, and asked for replacement of his lost National identity card.
Fortunately, a day later after reporting the issue to NRB, his lost ID was found within Chafumbwa Trading Centre.
However, on Thursday, February 24, 2022, he took his identity card and went to Chafumbwa Smallholder depot to buy fertilizer.
As he was on queue waiting for his turn to buy the commodity, Ndende heard the seller calling out someone bearing similar identity card name.
Ndende protested and the other person was caught. Upon quizzing the person, he revealed that he bought the newly replaced identity card from GVH Kakhome who has links with someone from Dedza NRB office.
Police at Chafumbwa immediately arrested Kakhome. Upon searching him, he was found in possession of 90 identity cards ready for sale.
He later revealed that it is the NRB employee Sikwese who brought him the identity cards. He also explained that he was expecting Sikwese to bring him another bunch of IDs.
The suspect was brought to Dedza Boma where he liased with Sikwese about the other bunch of IDs.
Without knowing that his accomplice was in the hands of Police, Sikwese told Kakhome to meet at Dedza Golf Club and that time he was in possession of 100 National identity cards.
Sikwese was arrested on the spot by officers from Chafumbwa Police Unit.
It is alleged that GVH Kakhome, was selling identity cards at Fourteen thousand kwacha (MK14,000). He was getting a commission of Five thousand kwacha (MK5,000) from the sales, while Sikwese was getting Nine thousand kwacha (MK9,000).
Sikwese will answer a case of Abuse of office and Theft by public servant while Kakhome will answer a case of illegal possession of National identity cards.
Sikwese hails from Ifumbo village, Traditional Authority Mwaulambia in Chitipa district, whereas Lotam Saidi (GVH Kakhome) hails from Kakhome village, Traditional Authority Kaphuka in Dedza district.
