Five arrested over Escom property vandalism

……wires recovered in Lilongwe

Police in Lilongwe have arrested five people over vandalism and theft of Escom property, and recovered about a thousand metres of Escom aluminium power conductors suspected to have been stolen in some parts of Lilongwe including Mitundu, this year.

The suspects, who include one Escom sub-contractor have been identified as Aggrey Mwakasungula, 48, of Mwakasungula Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Kyungu, Karonga District, two ex-Escom employees namely Charles Chaima, 35, Mukwala 2 Village, T/A Chikho, Ntchisi, Lukasi Ezekiel (masterminder), 24, Makutumula Village, T/A Chitekwere, Yotamu Kachepa, 45, Thewo Village, T/A Kabudula all in Lilongwe, and Lazalo Thembachako, 37, of Kalitsiro Village, T/A Njolomole in Ntcheu District.

In February this year Escom reported of an incident of vandalism in Mitundu at Thawale area where at least 14 poles were taken down and aluminium power conductor wire totalling to 4200 metres valued at K11, 600,000 (eleven million and six hundred thousand kwacha) was stolen.

Following the report, Lilongwe Police detectives went flat out on the ground resulting into the arrest of four suspects who later, after interrogation revealed the identity of the above named sub-contractor as their main colleague in the syndicate.

Part of the power conductor wires have been recovered at a site where the said Escom sub-contractor was about to use in connecting a certain lodge to Escom power grid in the lakeshore district of Salima.

The suspects will appear in court soon to answer vandalism and theft charges.