Police arrest Speaker’s personal assistant

Police in Lilongwe have arrested 37-year-old Patrick Vitumbiko Kayira, personal assistant (PA) to Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya on suspicion that he broke into an office at Treasury and went away with a laptop.

In a telephone interview last evening, Lilongwe Police Station spokesperson Ramsey Mushani said Kayira was arrested on Wednesday in Mponela, Dowa District, but he is suspected to have committed the crime on Monday.

He said: “The suspect is answering a charge of breaking into a building and committing a felony therein after he broke into a certain office at the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development [and] stole a laptop belonging to an employee at the ministry.”

Mushani said Kayira, who comes from Chikowoko Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Katumbi in Rumphi, is still in police custody pending his court appearance as police are still investigating the matter.

He said yesterday Kayira appeared before the Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court where he was told the reasons for keeping him in custody as police continue with their investigations.

The Speaker, speaking in a telephone interview, confirmed getting a report that his PA was arrested. But he said he did not have any more information on the matter as he was in Karonga. n