KFC Indian ‘expatriate’ who beat female guard over K500 released on bail

The Lilongwe Magistrate Court on Monday released on bail Adril Patel—an Indian national who works as a stores keeper at KFC in the capital Lilongwe—in a case where he reportedly assaulted Bernadetta Tchale, an Omega Security Company guard guarding the premises, over K500.

KFC is a fast-food restaurant owned by Indians, and has major branches in the cities of Blantyre and Mzuzu.

500 Malawi kwacha is roughly equivalent to 5 pence in the UK, 7 cents in the USA or about 8 South African Rands which is not even enough to buy a packet of sugar in the country.

Senior Resident Magistrate Wanangwa Nyirenda granted bail to Patel, who has since been charged with common assault but pleaded not guilty, after he spent the weekend in police custody.

Nyirenda granted Patel bail on condition that he pays K10, 000 cash bail bond and presents a surety bond of K300, 000.

Patel was also ordered to surrender his travel documents and not to leave Lilongwe without seeking permission.

Patel’s lawyer, Oscar Taulo, asked the court to permit his client to reconcile with Tchale through an amicable settlement but the Court said the State needed to consult with Tchale first before it could give a response.

According to Nyasa Times findings, it has been established that last Wednesday a truck had come to offload some goods at KFC, and after offloading the goods, Mr. Patel agreed to sell the pallets which had come with the goods to some police officers at the price of MK4500.

Following the arrangement, Mrs. Tchale was tasked by Mr. Patel to deliver the pallets to the customers and collect money on his behalf. The customers gave Mrs. Tchale MK4000 to give it to Mr. Patel promising that the balance of MK 500.00 will be given later.

The money and the information about the balance was well delivered to Mr. Patel but when Mrs. Tchale returned to the customer to collect the balance, she was given the MK500 but was advised that she should not give it to Mr. Patel but use it as hers for the job well done.

This did not please Mr. Patel who kept on asking Mrs. Tchale for the money until on Friday when a quarrel on the same erupted between the two. It is alleged that in the middle of the quarrel, Mr. Patel took 2 masks valued at MK400.00 out of the box of masks which Mrs. Tchale sells at the premises as her own part time business.

Consequently, Mrs. Tchale wanted to give Mr. Patel MK100 as a balance from the MK500 but Mr. Patel insisted that the whole MK500.00 be given. In order to still force Mrs. Tchale to release the money, Mr. Patel snatched from Mrs. Tchale a box of masks containing about 30 masks and disappeared from the premises.

Upon Mr. Patel returning to the premises, Mrs. Tchale wanted her box of masks back but Mr. Patel was reluctant to give her until she gave him the MK500.00. The two then started grabbing the box from each other, and in the process, Mr. Patel pushed Mrs. Tchale fell down and later the fight started.

The two were separated by fellow staff members who later were taken to the police unit within the City Mall complex where KFC is also situated.

Upon interrogations, Mr. Patel was charged with common assault and was put in custody at Area 3 Police station and he spent his weekend waiting for yesterday’s court appearance.

Mrs. Tchale, on the other hand, was referred to Kamuzu Central Hospital for medical attention.

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