Malawi Police arrest pastor over his wife’s K1.2mil debt
Malawi Police in Chikwawa on Monday locked up a pastor for a K1.2 million debt his wife accumulated from a women’s village bank but she failed to pay back and is now on the run.
According to Police, the 49 year old Isaac Siyani, a Lutheran Evangelical pastor at Ngabu in Chikwawa was arrested on Monday and released on Tuesday after a magistrates court ordered him to pay the loan on behalf of his wife.
The wife, according to the police, was treasurer of the group and allegedy used the money to prop up her maize business.
The police said church members contributed the money – the church way – and the pastor has since paid off all the debt.
In Rumphi, police say the high rate of suicides in the district is as a result of debts obtained from the so called village banks which are pushing unsuspecting people in huge debts forcing them fail to provide for their families.
Criminal investigations officer at Rumphi police said there were 30 suicides in 2015 most of them involving young men who left suicide notes indicating they took away their lives because of financial hardships after taking loans from the village banks.
He said some people cannot withstand the humiliation of having their property confiscated or having their house roofs taken off to force them repay the loan.
In Dedza, women village bank members have reported to police after one of their members bolted with K500000 which they were supposed to share after a year long saving.
Officials from micro loan lending institutions said there was need for civic education on the use of the money saying some people use the money for consumption instead of production forcing them fail repay the loans.
In some instances, the officials say, some people take three or four loans from different lending village groups thereby choking their ability to pay.
Nyasa Times can confirm some women are forced into prostitution to raise money to pay back to the groups.
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An adult comits a crime then you arrest somebody else???? Does the law permit that?
Why pastor is it not you goverment who is impowering women let them sort out alone too stupid
Kumanga m’busa pa nkhani yomwe sikumukhudza ndi kulakwa koma ngati amadziwapo kanthu pa ndalamazo chabwino amayi pano ali ndi maufulu zikhoza kutheka ndalamazo zinali za mkazi yekhayo koma chidukwa cha banja kumumunga sibwino . Mpaka aku church kutengapo gawo kusonkha ndalama kukabweza bank mkhonde kuombola m’busa wawo
Plx do something beter otherwize this behaviour will kp raise u nd to punsh dis lady so that others will learn frm her
Plz u hav to punsh dis lady cox other wize dis typ ov behaviour will kp raise so that others will rearn fm her
Govt should intervene and do something about this money laundering practices which will kill the economy further. Malawi laws don’t recognize village banks why arrest the husband? Which law school did they gestate attend?
That story needs further investigation. A Church in Ngabu cannot afford to pay all that money. This is half-baked!
Village Banks Contribute Nothing To Economic Growth Of Malawi,, Alot Of Women Have Joined Money Prostitution Systems And Families Are Being Divorced Because Of The Same Unprofitable System, People Commit Suicides After Huge Accumulation Of Bills.
I think the Police and the Magistrate are very wrong to force the pastor pay for the loan of his wife unless he was quarrantor for the wife’s loan. These days it is permissible for wives to enter into contractual arrangements with others and not involving their husbands. Wives are recognized as a separate legal entity from their husbands. The police and the magistrate were therefore totally wrong to compel the pastor to pay. What has happened to our court by making useless senseless thoughtless and baseless judgements. These are basis legal principles to follow-you can not arrest husband for… Read more »
Abusa inu ndi mkaziyo ndi thupi limodzi