Thirty-nine-year-old man Takondwa Phillipo from Nkhotakota was operated on his appendix at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in the capital, Lilongwe after it ruptured as a result of police beating.
Phillipo, who works as branch manager for Micro Loan Finance in Nkhotakota, told The Nation he met his fate on May 13 as he was drinking beer with his friends at one of the joints at the Boma.
“It was around 11pm when a group of police officers came into the bar and asked the owner to close. I went closer to reason with them that the licence for the bar shows that it was supposed to be closed at midnight. As soon as I started reasoning with them, one officer said I was under arrest for obstructing an police officers on duty,” he said.
Phillipo said he thereafter surrendered himself to be handcuffed after which, three officers started beating him up.
“I was heavily beaten right at the bar and even when I was in the cell,” he said.
A referral letter from Nkhotakota Hospital to KCH showed that the scan revealed a ruptured appendix and that he was being referred to the central hospital for further management and possible X-ray.
In an interview, Nkhotakota Police officer-in-charge Lovemore Mwabumba confirmed that his office received the complaint against some of his officers and said so far police have launched investigations into the matter.
Phillipo has since threatened to take the three officers to court.
