Trainee cop expelled over criminal record

An officer who was undergoing training at Mtakataka Police Training School has cried foul after being dismissed from the institution, for having a criminal record, despite completing his studies. “I write to inform you that you have been expelled from Police Training School with effect from 22nd August, 2022. This follows our discovery that you were once…

By Isaac Salima:

An officer who was undergoing training at Mtakataka Police Training School has cried foul after being dismissed from the institution, for having a criminal record, despite completing his studies.

Gift Kondowe was expelled from the institution when he was about to undergo a pass-out process last month.

Authorities had discovered that he was a former convict.

“I write to inform you that you have been expelled from Police Training School with effect from 22nd August, 2022. This follows our discovery that you were once convicted and sentenced to four years imprisonment as recorded by the Chitipa Second Grade Magistrate Court,” reads part of the letter signed by a Mr D. Chipao, Commissioner and Director of Human Resource Management and Development at Malawi Police Service.

The letter further said since the advert clearly stipulated that applicants must have no criminal record, then Kondowe had been disqualified.

But Kondowe said it was unfair to him as he was cleared by the police disciplinary structures on the issue and went on to finish the training.

“Three months into my training, the disciplinary committee invited me saying they were investigating my issue. They later informed me that they concluded that I be given severe reprimand meaning that I should not commit any offence within the police for a specific period,” he said.

Kondowe further said he did not hear anything from authorities only to receive the expulsion letter when he was about to graduate.

“I was surprised because the issue was supposed to go before the Police Service Commission. What pains me is that I had completed the whole training and was given a service number of B7439 meaning for successfully completing the training,” he said.

National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya acknowledged the issue but refused to admit it was due to laxity in the vetting process.

“The vetting process begins before the officers start training and because it involves a lot, it sometimes takes long. And in this case, he was invited and because we were investigating his issue, he was allowed to be undergoing the training so that we finish gathering evidence because he claimed he had no criminal record,” Kalaya said.