One of the escapees
By Raphael Likaka
Two suspected criminals have escaped from Chinseu Police Unit cells in Zomba and people whose property was stolen by the suspected criminals suspect foul play over the escape.
One of the people who got robbed by one of the escapees told Malawi24 that it was not clear how the criminals escaped from the police cells, alleging that there should be a foul play.
The victim who is also a nurse at Chinseu Health Center but opted for anonymity said people at Chinseu are living in fear of the two suspected notorious criminals who have been breaking into people’s houses at night.
The nurse said they were once robbed of assorted items such as plasma TV, laptop, mattresses and other items worth about K850,000 and the property is not yet recovered.
“I lost property worth about K850,000 and the property is not yet recovered and it’s not clear how the criminal escaped together with another criminal in the hands of the police,” the nurse complained.
“How come that on the day of his arrest, the robber broke into 14 houses and one of the broken houses being mine,” the nurse further said.
In the meantime, all the nurses that were robbed say they intend to ask their seniors to transfer them from Chinseu Health Center for fear of their lives and property.
“We appeal to our seniors to transfer us from Chinseu to other places because we’re living in fear,” said one of the nurses.
Some people at Chinseu who also got robbed complained of lack of security and demanded that all officers at Chinseu Police Unit be posted away because they have proven to be incompetent in handling suspected criminals.
“We appeal to police authorities to post the officers away because it seems they connive with criminals and it also seems that other police officers have overstayed at the unit, ” said some of the victims of robbery.
Chinseu Police Unit, Officer in Charge Kassam Mavungire confirmed the escape of the two suspected criminals from Chinseu Police cells but said police are hunting for the criminals.
He therefore asked the community to tip the police of the whereabouts of the two criminals and appealed to people at Chinseu to remain calm and to let the police re-arrest the two escapees.
Rumour has it that the criminals did not escape from the cells because doors of the cell the two were in had no sign that they got broken.
The people therefore believe that police at Chinseu let the suspected criminals free.
