Police sweep 77 over failure to wear face masks: IG says laws to be enforced
Malawi Police in Lilongwe and Limbe have arrested 77 people over failure to wear face masks as part of Covid-19 preventive measures.
However, with such high numbers of suspects in police cells, questions are being asked if the suspects are safe in police cells as well.
In Lilongwe, police have arrested 64 people for not wearing face masks in public and running businesses outside the required time.
The arrest followed a special police operation in the city meant to monitor how people are observing Covid19 prevention measures.
According to Foster Benjamin, Deputy Public Relations Officer for Lilongwe police, the suspects did not put on face masks and that others are bar owners who opened bars before the ordered time.
Benjamin has since indicated that the suspects will appear before court tomorrow morning.
In a related development, police in Nkhotakota have also arrested a woman identified as Mecy Banda, for allegedly failing to comply with Covid-19 regulations.
It is said that, she was found selling fresh fish beyond regulated time limit.
And when the woman was ordered to leave the market, she disobeyed the order claiming that she did not have anything to eat at her home.
She was then immediately arrested and brought to Nkhotakota Police Station.
Deputy Police Spokesperson for Nkhotakota Paul Malimwe, says the suspect will appear before court soon to answer a charge of failing to comply with covid 19 rules and regulations
She hails from Kachilamilandu village in the area of Traditional Authority Mbelwa in Mzimba district.
In Limbe, police have taken into custody 13 people for not wearing face masks.
The suspects were arrested on Wednesday January 20, 2021 at around 2pm at Chigodi roadblock in Kachere along Limbe-Zomba road.
Police officers were deployed to work at the said roadblock, and in the course of their duty, they stopped a minibus which was coming from the direction of Chiradzulu.
When the officers searched the said minibus, they found the suspects without putting on facemasks.
They were immediately apprehended and taken to Limbe Police.
They have since been charged and will appear in court soon to answer the charge that has been leveled against them.
The suspects are; Dick Sayeye 20, Shadreck Chiyesa 22, Madalitso Douglas 20, Alex Kumwenda 32, Erick Chimpini 26, Paul Chikwanje 32, Goodson Boydd 39, White Milaji 24, Damiano Duncain 19, Mphatso Matebule 20, Evance Makwacha 38, Stanford Black 22 and Thomas Kalolo 38.
It has now been made mandatory for people to wear face masks in public, as one of the measures against the spread of Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police George Kainja has vowed that the officers will ensure people adhere to measurers as gazzetted.
“Law enforcers will ensure that people are adhering to Covid-19 measurers,” he said.
Kainja said the citizenry has been sensitised on the measurers.
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