Cops arrested for Ndata Farm break in

Three police officers have been arrested in connection with burglary at former Malawi president the late Bingu wa Mutharika’s Casablanca Manor house at the private Ndata Farm in Thyolo on Saturday.

Police have confirmed the incident and arrest of the officers who were guarding the premises. The trio has since been charged with theft.

Police sources yesterday identified the arrested officers from Police Mobile Service (PMS) B Company in Limbe, Blantyre as Chisomo Kaleso, Mayeso Mwansambo and Luka Magodo.

The sources said the three were on duty guarding Ndata Farm from July 19 to August 2 2014.

Said the source: “When their shift ended, they left for Blantyre in a police coaster, but when one of the security officers, Robert Mwase, patrolled the house, he noticed that one of the windows was broken into and immediately reported the matter to chief security officer Samuel Salle.”

The source said Salle, a retired deputy Police commissioner, also discovered that a digital satellite television (DStv) decoder was missing and called Bangwe Police Station to stop the coaster and search the police officers.

“After the search, Kaleso was [allegedly] found with a weighing scale while Mwansambo was found with window curtains [in his possession]. When the coaster was searched, more items were found such as a grinder, six circuit breakers, one main switch and four bulb holders,” said the police source.

The two police officers were arrested on Sunday and their houses were searched.

On Monday, police got a tip-off from the public that Magodo was selling items, at Manja Township where he stays, suspected to have been stolen from Casablanca Manor. He too was arrested and several items were recovered.

Items recovered from Magodo’s house included Laws of Malawi Volume 3, a set of Panasonic speakers, a sub-woofer, six twitters, four speakers, a computer, nine wine glasses and three suitcases.

Southern Region Police spokesperson Nicholas Gondwa, confirming the incident yesterday, said: “It is true that three of our officers have been arrested in connection with the matter. They have since been remanded at Chichiri Prison for further investigations.”

During Bingu’s rule, Ndata Farm was under tight security, but the security was withdrawn after his death in April 2012. The place then looked completely abandoned and grass grew all over. The fence was also vandalised.

Security has returned to the place after Bingu’s brother, Peter Mutharika, was elected President during the May 20 Tripartite Elections.