Three arrested for stealing school block materials

Two men and a woman are in custody at Balaka police station for stealing building materials meant for construction of a school block at a Mwanje Primary School.

Balaka Police Deputy Public Relations Officer Gerald Sumaili identified the three as Sautso Chipewa, 37, and his wife Cecilia Amos aged 24 along with a close friend of the couple Maurice Busiri.

In September this year the suspects broke into the storeroom at Mwanje Primary School where they stole a wire mesh and five iron sheets of 22 feet 28 gauge, all items valued at K322,500.

According to Sumaili, the materials were bought under the Local development fund (LDF) in July this year.

“When asked on how they transported the 2 by 10 metres wire mesh, the three revealed that they pushed and rolled the wire from the school to their home which is a distance of over 7 kilometres,” said Sumaili.

All of them have admitted to have committed the offence and soon will appear before court to answer charges of Breaking into a building to commit a felony therein is contrary to section 311 of the penal code.

Sautso Chipewa, Cecilia Amos and Morris Busiri hail from the area of Traditional Authority Nsamala in Balaka district.