Police in Zomba are keeping in custody Franklin Sankhani 49, a driver at the Ministry of lands for allegedly abusing office and theft of diesel fuel.
Eastern Region of Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, Sub Inspector Tionge Kayenda has confirmed the arrest of Franklin Sankhani.
Kayenda said that the arrest was made following a report that the said suspect took advantage of his job as a driver and stole 10 litres of fuel from the government vehicle he was driving bearing registration number MG 282 AR.
She said that according to the reporter, the entire management at the headquarters of the Ministry of Lands was shocked by the clip that was circulating on social media depicting the motor vehicle in question being siphoned of its fuel.
Upon interrogation, the above-mentioned suspect narrated having no knowledge about the clip instead confessed that he left the vehicle with the car washer for it to be cleaned.
Following up on the matter, the responsible car washer was questioned by Eastern Region Police detectives who confessed that the said suspect left the car to be washed by him and told him that a certain man by the name Noel Chitimbe would come to syphon 10 litres of diesel fuel from the vehicle, and that it happened as ordered.
After that explanation, thesuspect failedd to defend himself, and the detectives arrested him along with the suspected buyer of the said stolen fuel.
Franklin Sankhani who hails from Sawali village Traditional Authority Sawali in Balaka district will appear before the court soon to answer the charge of abuse of office and theft whilst the suspected buyer Noel Chitimbe will answer the charge of receiving stolen property.
