Lilongwe Police is keeping in custody a 27-year-old hospital attendant at Bwaila District Hospital for stealing a scanning machine for pregnant women valued at K6 million on January 16, 2025.
Lilongwe Police Station Public Relations Officer Inspector Hastings Chigalu said the suspect has been identified as Justine Mataka who started working at the said district hospital, last year.
On Thursday, after receipt of the complaint from the hospital administrator on the missing of the machine in Room 4 under family planning, police instituted investigations.
Detectives observed that both entry into the room, and exit, were gained using keys on the door.
A day later, detectives apprehended Mataka who admitted to stealing the machine, and using duplicate key he procured in town from key cutting agents, specifically for this criminal mission.
The suspect later led police to a certain clinician who operates own private clinic within the city where he sold the machine at K2 million, and received an initial payment of K1.8 million.
The suspect, who hails from Makuta Village, Traditional Authority Malengachanzi in Nkhota-kota District, will appear in court on Monday to answer a case of Theft by Public Servant.
