Let police be a force, not church elders, Usi says

Former Malawi Vice President, Michael Usi, has challenged the Malawi Police Service to enforce the law without fear, saying officers should stop behaving like church elders or bishops when dealing with criminals.

Usi made the remarks on Times Exclusive interview on times Television that the institution would not be called the Malawi Police Service but rather the Malawi Police Force.

He clarified that his remarks do not mean the police should be brutal, but that they should be given room to carry out their duties where necessary because the officers have experience.

“The police should be allowed to be the Malawi Police Force as it were,” he said.

He gave the example of a minister involved in criminal activities, saying such a person should face the law like any other citizen by allowing the Malawi Police to do their job.

Usi said the politicians and civil servants who should be dismissed are known, but no action is being taken against them.

Usi also spoke against selective justice that Malawi will not be a good country if some politicians are left unarrested when they break the law while others are arrested immediately.

He added that some politicians are not arrested because they are working with others on certain matters, but he said that this is not good for the country.

He therefore said if politicians had the mindset that “nobody is above the law,” things would have been better.