LILONGWE (Maravi Post)—The former deputy Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service (MPS) Doreen Kapanga has been arrested for being allegedly involved in the looting of taxpayers’ money pegged at MK293 at Malawi’s embassy office in Ethiopia.

Deputy Malawi Police National Spokesperson, Thomeck Nyaude confirmed the development to The Maravi Post last evening saying that the arrest of Kapanga is in connection with fraud at Malawi’s Embassy in Ethiopia.

Nyaude was non committal on where Kapanga was kept as investigations are still underway. Both Kapanga and Fletcher Chowe who were serving as Malawi’s deputy ambassador and first secretary for administration and finance at the mission respectively  were implicated in the plunder and were consequently suspended and recalled from Malawi’ Embassy in Ethiopia.

But earlier this month, Francis Kasayira, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed sadness over the looting.  He promised the nation that all public officers involved in the looting would be taken to task for repayment of the money stolen

He further disclosed that the ministry plans to recall 50 diplomats in foreign mission who have stayed more than the required three years-tenure of office.

“As you are aware, the Ambassador at our Mission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia reported of an attempted fraud by members of staff at the Mission. The Ministry therefore, instituted an Investigative Audit at the Mission to establish if indeed the fraud had occurred, the extent of the fraud, the perpetrators of the fraud and identify the weakness in the system of internal controls which led to this fraud.

“I would like to report to the nation, through you, members of the press that the Auditors we had assigned to undertake the exercise are now back and they have indeed uncovered massive fraudulent activities taking place at the Mission.

“The report shows that there has been systematic and merciless plunder of public resources at the Addis Ababa Mission from 2013. As much as US$406,246.15 (or K293 million) had been siphoned out by three of the Mission officials of the Embassy into their accounts,” said Minister Kasayira.

Kasayira further indicated that the issue was now a matter of theft and has been forwarded to the prosecuting authorities to do their investigations and prosecute those who were involved in this plunder of public resources

“The Ministry has also written the Auditor General to conduct independent audits in all the other Missions beginning with those which have not been audited in the recent past. We have been informed that the NAO are starting the exercise with Pretoria Mission and Johannesburg consulate from 9th May 2016,” disclosed Kasayira.

It is reported that the diplomats at the Embassy had been writing Cheques in their names until they were caught red handed in similar acts.

The development comes amid the nation’s struggling economically with high inflation, skyrocketing good and services prices among others.