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| National |
| Clerk in for deceased estate |
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by
Steven Pembamoyo Banda, 14 December 2006
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07:21:26
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Police in Phalombe have arrested a clerk at the district assembly on suspicion that he swindled about K500,000 from deceased estate.
Detective sub-inspector Henry Fifa confirmed the arrest in an interview yesterday. He said the suspect (name withheld) will answer charges of theft.
A source at the DC’s office said the suspect connived with an unidentified person to impersonate beneficiaries of the estate and cash the money.
The deceased, Wild Chibaya, died in 2003.
“Chibaya was head-teacher at Linguni Primary School before his death in September 2003. After his death, his relatives pushed for his gratuity which was about K1 million,” said the source.
The source said when the beneficiaries went to the assembly to push for the money they were referred to the Administrator-General’s office in Blantyre.
The source added that after the money was processed, the suspect showed interest to help the beneficiaries access it as they were supposed to be dealing with officials at the assembly.
According to the source, when the beneficiaries went to get the first payment at the Administrator-General in August, they were told that somebody, only identified as a Mr. D.E. Khanda who presented himself as their relative, had already taken a cheque of about K400,000.
“When [the beneficiaries] went back to the assembly they met the suspect who told them that the money had already been cashed and that there was nothing they could do and advised them to concentrate on getting the remaining amount which was K659,075, assuring them that he was going to trace the thief,” said the source.
When the relatives went to the Administrator-General’s office to get the remaining money in September, they were told that the same person had come three days earlier and was given the cheque for the remaining money and an additional K7,000 after he had complained that he did not have transport back to his home.
However, officials at the Administrator-General advised the relatives to rush to the assembly as the money had not been withdrawn because it would mature after 14 days.
“At the assembly they met [the suspect] as usual but he told them to come back after seven days so that they meet the person who had collected the cheque. After seven days, the relatives went back to the assembly where the suspect told them that the man who had the cheque had just withdrawn K75,089 the previous day but did not sign for the money,” said the source.
The source said the beneficiaries were also tricked that Chikondi Chibaya, who was the first beneficiary and whose money had been stolen, should sign for the money that was taken to allow his relatives get theirs to protect it from the thief.
The relatives took the rest of the money.
“Out of desperation, the boy signed for the money that he never took. However, he was not satisfied and reported the matter to police. When police went to the assembly they did not find [the suspect]. They found him two days later and arrested him,” he said.
Fifa also disclosed that somebody at the assembly had also swindled about K700,000 deceased estate. He said the assembly decided to resolve the matter internally and transferred the suspect to another office.
DC for Phalombe Benet Nkasala confirmed both incidents but refused to provide more information as the matter was being handled by police.
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