LL Water Board, Malawi police arrest repeated illegal connection offender: Hanna Sitima

The Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) and Malawi Police Service have rearrested Hanna Sitima, a resident of Area 47 in the City for allegedly connecting water to her plot.

Sitima aged 48 and hails from Ntcheu district was once arrested on 7th February, 2018 on the same charge of connecting water illegally.

She was fined K3.5 million by the Board-which is not yet paid, and she is currently answering to Fraudulent Appropriation of Water contrary to Section 298 (A) of the Penal Code.

On Tuesday 27th March, 2018, LWB and Police officials rearrested Sitima after it was discovered that she reconnected the illegal water supply that was uprooted during the earlier arrest.

Meanwhile, Sitima is in Police custody at Area 3 Police Station pending to appear in court on another Fraudulent Appropriation of Water charge.

Recently, the Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate Court convicted and fined two people for stealing water through illegal connections.

The convicts, Stephano Kambale and Billy Matchado were arrested in February this year along three others in a joint operation by the Lilongwe Water Board and Malawi Police Service.

Kambale aged 33 and 36-year-old Matchado were charged with Fraudulent Appropriation of Water contrary to Section 298 (A) of the Penal Code. Kambale paid the fine while Matchado is serving sentence at Maula Prison.

The Lilongwe Water Board is facing an increase of illegal water connections cases with the Board losing about K120 million every month to illegal connections.

Between October 2017 and February 2018, LWB registered 104 cases of illegal connections, 54 of them were confirmed cases. About 38 cases were charged and fined amounting to K226,359,566.16. A total of 77,439.00m³ is estimated to have been lost due to the malpractice. Five of the cases were commercial customers, two were institutional and 47 were residential customers.

Meanwhile, LWB is calling well wishers to help with information that will lead to the arrest of those involved in illegal connection. Those who will provide correct information shall be rewarded.