Why was Lutepo not arrested on airport, critics query Malawi Police

Critics raised eyebrows over the way Interpol-listed businessperson Oswald Lutepo handed himself over to Malawi police without being arrested at the airport upon arrival from an undisclosed location.

Lutepo on Wednesday drove straight to the National Police Headquarters at Area 30 in Lilongwe accompanied by his lawyer, Jai Banda where he handed himself in.

But commenting on a Nyasa Times breaking new item on Lutepo’s handing in to police, readers through the comments section questioned why he was not nabbed at the port of entry or wherever he has flown from, considering his arrest alert on Interpol.

Lutepo, 35, is wanted in connection with the alleged pilfering of government money.

Maigwa: It doesn’t matter, be it own goal or not

Also critiquing Lutepo’s handing in was commentator’s social-political issues, Henry Kachaje.

Kachaje using his Facebook Timeline, wrote: “ We were told Lutepo was in Asia and the Malawi police had enlisted the help of Interpol to track him down: How did he travel from Asia all the way to Africa, then all the way to Malawi without the Interpol arresting him at any of the airports?”

Kachaje probed further: “He landed at KIA, cleared through immigration, and then passed through the police (who are always there in the international arrival terminal, and they just saluted at him!) And then drove from the airport, passing through some roadblocks on the way to ‘hand himself to Area 30 National Police Headquarters?”

He added: “Unless we are all acting a Nollywood movie, this doesn’t make sense at all. Either someone thinks we are all very stupid and naive in this country, or is playing some game, having fun ‘doing a reality show’ with the whole country is being played.”

But Malawi Police Service (MPS) deputy national spokesperson Kelvin Maigwa played down the criticism saying the most important thing was that Lutepo was under arrest.

“The most important thing is that he is under arrest. It doesn’t matter in what way he has been arrested,” said Maigwa.

He used a football analogy that when a player scores in his own net, it is an own goal and counts.

“So whether one scores and own goal or scores to an opponent’s goal, it still counts. It doesn’t matter how one is arrested,” said Maigwa.

Lutepo  – who is the ruling People’s Party  (PP) deputy director of recruitment and sensitisation – last week declared he will was not on the run and promised to return home to face the law and lived up to his word.

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