Police investigating property looting at Kamuzu Palace including police shepherd dogs

* As it dispels rumours circulating on social media alleging the arrest of the 6th President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera

* The Police obtained a search warrant in pursuing evidence by suspect Godfrey Jalale that the police dogs are kept at Chakwera’s residence

By Duncan Mlanjira

The Malawi Police Service has issued a statement dispelling rumours circulating on social media alleging the arrest of the 6th President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, clarifying that they are only investigating property looting that took place at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe including theft of police shepherd dogs.

In a statement issued by deputy national police public relations officer, Alfred Chimnthere, indicates that one suspect, former State House deputy chief of staff, Godfrey Jalale, was arrested on suspicion of the theft of the police dogs at Kamuzu Palace.

He already appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe and is currently on remand and meanwhile, the Police obtained a search warrant in pursuing evidence that the police dogs are kept at Chakwera’s residence.

“There is no arrest warrant for the former President. We are reminding all to confirm their stories with our official spokesperson to avoid circulating false and misleading stories in the social media,” says Chimthere in the statement, while assuring that the investigation “is progressing smoothly”.

The social media went frenzy with comments as soon as reports circulated that around 13hrs yesterday afternoon, about 80 Malawi Police officers invaded Chakwera’s Area 6 residence in Lilongwe in search of the four German shepherd dogs, which are alleged to have disappeared from the State House and suspected to have been taken by the former President.

According to some unconfirmed social media reports, Chakwera’s residence staff presented documents showing that the four dogs were personally purchased by the former President from Israel and that Jalale took them because they did not belong to the government.

The silence on the matter by the police before the statement from the Police, raised some hot debate on social media while asking if the dogs appear in government’s inventory.

Social media influencer, Onjezani Kenani wrote on his Facebook page: “There’s a lot of economic vandalism [the MCP administration] committed, which could result in big court cases, but dogs? No — don’t distract the nation.

“Ndiye mpaka 80 policemen, nkhani yake agalu anayi? Apolisi 20 galu m’modzi (such a huge entourage of 80 police officers? One dog for 20 officer?). Don’t misuse national resources like that — go after them for real cases, not jokes.”