Arrest of four individuals who decorated Valentine flower gift with bank notes stirs mixed debate on social media

Question asked will FDH Money Bureau who did the same also be arrested?

* If found guilty, they could be fined up to K5 million or a jail sentence

* At this rate, one day we will get arrested for folding notes in our wallets

* Now I am afraid if I use currency as learning material for my kids

By Duncan Mlanjira

News of the arrest of four individuals, who displayed Valentine flower gifts that were decorated with bank notes, has stirred hot and mixed debate on social media.

According to Fiscal Police, which arrested the individuals on instructions from the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), the four suspects will appear in court soon to answer charges of damaging and unlawful use of currency, contrary to Section 54 Subsection 2c of the RBM Act 2018.

If found guilty, they could be fined up to K5 million or a jail sentence.

RBM Senior Investigation Officer, Emmanuel Malasa told the media that a joint operation was carried out in Lilongwe and Blantyre cities from February 12-15 after pictures of the flowers had gone viral on social media during the Valentine period.

Chancellor College law lecturer, Sunduzwayo Madise posted a picture of an advert that FDH Money Bureau posted on social media with the same artistic decoration of a flower gift decorated with money.

The advert was almost meant to inspire people to include some cash as Valentine gifts for the loved one.

Social issues commentator, Henry Kachaje responded to Madise’s post — which had no caption at all — saying: “So, FDH Bureau will also be arrested?” with Azikiwe Mussa-Mbewe Snr joining by saying “equal justice calling!” while Clement Stambuli calling it: “Za zii, alakwitsa chani. RBM abusing the law”.

In his own profile post, Kondwanie Chirembo was incredulous of the development, saying he was failing to fathom how putting banknotes in a flower bouquet damages the notes or how it is unlawful.

“Like really, is there more that our law enforcement guys saw besides this picture? At this rate one day we will get arrested for folding notes in our wallet! I am so sure police have better use for police resources.”

To which Mwai Kadangwe simply said: “They don’t like it, full stop — it’s their money.”

Chirembo and James Nipsy opined that if the RBM and Fiscal Police were to carry out an assessment of how the bank notes are used in local markets, then they would arrest almost the entire market.

James Nipsy attested that notes are usually soiled in markets by vendors, especially those selling fresh fish or vegetables because in between serving customers and giving change, they just dump the bank notes on wet surfaces.

Illegal sellers of charcoal make it even worse while some write on the notes some figures they need to keep for later reference and get rid of such notes by paying for another service.

In his opinion, Kelton Masangano’s understanding is that the Act does not only talk about damage, it also talks about unlawful use.

“In this case, these people have used the banknotes as decoration paper which is not the intended use for banknotes. As you can see the banknotes were not damaged, were they used lawfully as a flower bouquet? No. They are just following the law basi. Lamulo silichepa (the law is the law, no matter how petty),” he said.

But still Chirembo was not convinced and argued with Masangano that “considering the abuse and misuse of our notes/coins punishing, this is very petty use of the law really. Maybe I don’t get it but seriously for me we can do better.

“If he had cellotaped the money as cover to the flowers I would say maybe. But just nicely inserting money in a bouquet is considered misuse — I say crap! It’s a harsh enforcement of the law — very harsh!”

Willium Masamba said he is just as scared to this too “strict interpretation of the law [that] will make criminals in all of us. This is a criminal offence isn’t it?”

Masamba also wondered if folding money into a wallet is a criminal offence as it “is more damaging than” decorating it on a flower bouquet. “Now I am afraid [of using] the currency as learning material for my kids as it may not be covered in the Act.”

Maggie Matinga opined that this was “abuse of power and disappointing waste of police resources. There are more serious criminal cases not investigated due to ‘lack of resources’ — yet they have time for this?”

Vincent Nasaliwa jested that he has a friend who loves tucking in his Bank notes inside his shoe socks. “I will just take a picture akamadzatulutsa (as he would be pulling them out) and send it to Reserve Bank for their action,” he joked.