Malawi Police says bank robbery suspect still married to cop

Police in Malawi have revealed that Pelekani Malunga one of the arrested suspects in the K100 million bank robbery is still married to one senior police officer.

In an interview Southern Region Police spokesperson Nicholas Gondwa said so far the law enforcers are investigating to establish whether the wife played a role in the robbery.

Said Gondwa: “Two of the eight arrested suspects are FMB employees while one of them is husband to a police officer. Investigations are still going on.”

Malunga is one of the eight suspects that have been arrested in connection with the robbery that took place at the country’s First Merchant Bank (FMB) in commercial city Blantyre on December 23, 2014.

He is married to Blantyre Police Commandant Sup Blandina Chanika and it is suspected that the guns and handicuffs Malunga used belongs to Malawi Police –possibly obtained through Chanika.

Newly appointed Inspector General (IG) Paul Kanyama is on record saying Malawi Police Service (MPS) management will not shield any officer involved in crimes.

“In the Malawi Police Service, nobody is above the law and our mandate is to enforce the law and not to break it or terrorise the very same people we are supposed to protect. I would like to thank the residents of Kanjedza for being courageous in assisting the police in arresting the suspect and his accomplices,” said Kanyama.

One police officer was killed during the robbery.

Gondwa said the eight were arrested on Monday.

Forty eight year old Malunga comes from Musa Magasa Village, T/A Machinjiri.

The other seven are Felix Malope (35) from Chitengu Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Bvumbwe’s area in Thyolo, Keston Mbewe (28) from Makunje Village, T/A Machinjiri in Blantyre and Felix Khozomba
(40) from Likumbo Village, T/A Likoswe in Chiradzulu.

Others are William Chirwa (54) from Nzikuola Village, T/A Mulonyeni in Mchinji, Edward Kamiza (28) from Lizulu in T/A Gomani’s area in Ntcheu, Limbani Hope (35) from Malope Village, T/A Nsanama in Balaka
and Martin Malimwe (39) from Kalongonda Village, T/A Mabuka in Mulanje.