Malawi Police chief warns cops against assaulting suspects
Malawi Police Service, Inspector General (IG) Loti Dzonzi, has warned police officers against use of excessive force on suspects, saying they should professionally interrogate the suspects to get the truth of the cases they are accused of.
Dzonzi sounded the warning when he visited Kasungu Police Station over the weekend on a familiarisation tour as the new police chief.
His remarks come at a time when the Malawi Police have for a long time made headlines for unlawfully assaulting and sometimes shooting suspects to death.
The IG said there is documented evidence that police all over the world ably prosecute suspects without assaulting them and that the Malawi Police ought to learn from other countries.
“It is happening all over the world that police arrest, charge and prosecute suspects without necessarily using any violent means,” explained Dzonzi.
He attributed the recent cases of police brutality to lack of investigative skills by the law enforces, adding, his office will do all it can to equip the Police with necessary skills to enable them discharge their duties while upholding rights of both suspects and criminals.
Added Dzonzi: “The criminals you arrest, charge and is convicted by the court today and becomes a prisoner can be a leader of this country tomorrow. Every human being has a sense of dignity and has to be respected.”
The police IG also urged officers in the district to desist from corruption warning that he will not hesitate to order arrest of those involved in the malpractice which he said is painting a bad picture of MPS.
“One of the painful things as a police officer is to arrest a fellow officer because he or she has broken the law,” he said.
Since his appointment in April Dzonzi has embarked on a mission aimed at repairing the tattered image of the MPS which recently resulted in sour relationship between the law enforcers and the public.
