Malawi Police suspect internal arrangement in MRA computers theft

As investigations into the theft of nine computers at the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) are still in progress, some employers are suspected to have connived with the security guards to steal the gadgets from the tax collecting body’s auditing department.

Four watchmen were arrested in connection with the theft eight desktop computers, one laptop, seven key boards and a few litres of diesil from gen-set. They items were stolen on the night of May 19 2015.

The watchmen, currently on remand at Chichiri Prison, were on duty when the offices where broken into.

Apart from the guards, no other person has been arrested.

“The guards are being interrogated so that they can provide more information that can lead to the identification of real culprits.

“It appears it was an internal arrangement to break and steal these things. We suspect the watchmen connived with some other senior staff working within the system. So, we got hold of these watchmen to get proof from them,” said National Deputy Police spokesperson Nicolas Gondwa.

He refuted claims that the computers contained information concerning tax evasion suspects.

According to Gondwa, offices that were broken into deal with small and medium taxation, claiming that issues or transactions that may be connected to Cashgate are done in other offices and not in the robbed offices.