‘Promotion-gate’ at Malawi Police: Officer involved transferred

The Malawi Police Services has transferred one of its men from the Police Headquarters because he was entangled in a syndicate of having some of his colleagues promoted after paying some money.

Police are mum on the matter but a source within the service has revealed that officerTrapence has been moved to Bulala Police Unit because he was linked to the matter.

Trapence was working in the Confidential Registry at Area 30.

Nyasa Times understand that one of the people he was using to be getting his business boosted was one Sub Inspector Goster of Lilongwe Police Station.

“We were been told to pay fifty thousand but some were paying forty thousand and got promoted after giving the money to Sub Goster,” said a source who refused to be  named.

The ranks under promotion that attracted the payment included Constable to Sergeant, and Sergeant to Sub-Inspector, according to the source.

“It’s so frustrating and officers are very demoralized right now,” said the source. “The list of promotions came out on 1st January 7, 2016, but they were effective from 23rd December 2015. Between these dates some officers on the promotion list have been milked up to MK50,000 each or MK40,000 minimum after bargaining for them to remain on the list.

“We also know some officers who were on the list but because they did not have the demanded cash they lost their promotions to those who had the cash but were not on the list.”

We understand that a certain sergeant revealed the issue to the deputy Inspector General responsible for Administration and the DIG pressed the red button for the officier to be transferred away from the Headquarters.

“But that’s not enough; we want them investigated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau and taken to book for their corrupt practices,” said the source who claimed could not afford to pay MK50,000 and consequently missed promotion.

But National Police Spokesperson, Nicholas Gondwa, while acknowledging that the promotions and the transfers had indeed been made recently, refuted the allegations of corruption having taken place at any point.

“It’s not true,” Gondwa said in an interview. “The promotions that were made recently were normal and procedural and there was nothing of the sort as claimed by some officers.

“On the other hand, we made the transfers because our patrols during the festive season revealed that many police units in the north were understaffed and it was recommended that more officers be transferred there to fill the gap.”

Gondwa admitted that on the list of those transferred were some senior officers including Assist. Supt. Trapence, who had been transferred to Mzimba’s Bulala Police Unit. –Additional Reporting Kondwani Magombo, Mana

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