Police arrest passenger over traffic cop assault

Malawi Police in Blantyre have arrested one person in connection to the assault of police officers in Chilomoni on Saturday.

A video clip of a minibus passenger grabbing a bruised traffic officer went viral over the weekend as another passenger and another traffic officer joined the fray amid shouts from other passengers.

Blantyre police spokesperson Augustus Nkhwazi said a Mazda bongo minibus registration number BU 4645 which was heading to Blantyre city from Chilomoni was stopped and booked for an offence of exceeding seating capacity.

“While the driver and conductor of the minibus were very cooperative with the law enforcers, passengers behaved differently.

“Two of the passengers pounced on our officers, manhandled them and confiscated key which the officers had collected from the driver as they ordered the passengers to board another bus,” Nkhwazi said.

He said after the scuffle, the two suspects escaped.

Nkhwazi said later on Sunday, one suspect, Trevor Mtepele, 38 of Siyasiya village, traditional authority Chigaru in Lirangwe, Blantyre was arrested.

“He is expected to appear in court soon to answer charges of assaulting police officers whilst on duty,” said Nkhwazi.