Police probe VP office’s break-in

Police are investigating a break-in at the Office of the Vice-President Saulos Chilima at Capital Hill in Lilongwe suspected to have occurred between Friday night and Monday.

In written response yesterday, Lingadzi Police Station spokesperson Salome Zgambo confirmed the break-in.

She said: “Some unknown persons broke in through the window of the bathroom in the office of the Principal Secretary where toner and some biscuits were stolen.”

Office of the Vice-President spokesperson Pilirani Phiri also confirmed the incident yesterday, saying the matter was reported to police.

In January 2021, another attempted break into the same office was also reported to police.

Zgambo said the 2021 incident was dealt with as some ex-security guards at Capital Hill were arrested and convicted for a spate of break-ins.

“As we are speaking, they are serving their sentence at Maula Prison. These were once guards at some of the offices at Capital Hill”.

Break-ins at Capital Hill are not new. In 2019, unidentified people broke into the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and went away with computers and hard drives.

Solar-powered security lights installed around Capital Hill were also stolen some years back.

On why this is the case when police are part of the security system at the seat of government, Zgambo said the major suspects are private security guards who when laid off take advantage of their knowledge of the offices to break-in.

She said: “Each and every government ministry, department and agency has private guards. Police are there to strengthen security. But we believe that when these guards are laid off they are the ones who come back to steal.

“We have a police unit within the premises apart from Police Mobile Service offices at the main entry who patrol the area.”