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Dedza Diocese of the Catholic Church has disassociated itself from Annetta Phiri, a nun who Lilongwe International Airport (Lia) police arrested on Wednesday allegedly for having sex in a car with a priest. The father and sister were on Thursday convicted and given an 18-month suspended sentence by the courts.
“We cannot comment on this issue because we do not have Annetta Phiri in this diocese. I don’t know any sister by the name Annetta Phiri,” the diocese’s vicar general Father Peter Kasonkanji said on Thursday morning.
He accused the media of publicising the sex scandal before confirming the police report that identified Sister Phiri as working for Dedza diocese.
“You have defamed Dedza diocese. I am confirming here that this lady is not from this diocese. She does not work here,” Kasonkanji said in a telephone interview on Thursday, admitting, however that he knew Father Morris Kalino from Lilongwe Diocese.
According to police records, Morris Kalino got arrested together with Phiri minutes after they had parked a red tinted Toyota Corolla registration number BM 3561 in the airport car park. They were found making love naked, the police said.
Lilongwe Diocese officials were tight-lipped when contacted for comment on the issue, probably the worst sex scandal involving the Catholic Church in the country.
“Check with police where they got that information from,” said a man who said was speaking on behalf of the diocese’s vicar general, when asked whether Kalino was indeed under that diocese.
Magistrate Arthur Mtalimanja sentenced Kalino and Phiri at Mkukula court to six months imprisonment but suspended for 18 months.
“They have been found guilty and convicted. I have sentenced them to six months IHL but suspended for a period of 18 months,” Mtalimanja said in a telephone interview after the court session.
In 1997 Lilongwe Diocese dismissed a nun from Likuni Parish after she was found pregnant, but the priest who the nun claimed was responsible for the pregnancy went on a tour of study overseas.
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