Five Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) employees have been arrested in Lilongwe for receiving bribes in order to connect electricity to a house.
According to Kanengo police deputy publicist Sub-Inspector Gift Chitowe, the suspects have been identified as Gift William M’bawa who was a General Worker, Prince Msiska a Power linesman as well as Macloud Ishmael, Harold Ishmael and Patrick Wachepa who were temporary workers.
In June this year, a certain Area 50 resident in the city applied and paid to ESCOM to have his newly constructed house connected to electricity and he patiently waited for his turn but ESCOM officers did not come to do the job.
He then received got a call from one of ESCOM employees demanding an extra K110,000 cash in order to have his house connected.
The resident reported the matter to ESCOM and a plan was conceived to apprehend the suspect.
The resident agreed to pay the bribe to the ESCOM but on the day they agreed to meet, ESCOM security officers came earlier to the scene and were hidden in one of the rooms of the complainant’s house.
After some time, the five ESCOM workers arrived at the house.
After a part payment of K52,000 was made to one of the 5 suspects, ESCOM security officers came out of the room to apprehend the suspects and have the money seized.
They were at the same time commanded to have the house of the complainant connected to electricity which they did within a short period before being taken into custody at Kanengo police.
The five are expected to appear before court soon where they will answer charges of Abuse of Office
Meanwhile, police have urged the public to report such incidents to authorities to curb the malpractice.
