NKHOTAKOTA (MANA) — A 25-year-old man is in Police custody at Nkhotakota Police Station for allegedly being found in possession of forged K1000 bank notes.
Nkhotakota Police Spokesperson Williams Kaponda said in the evening of July 20, the suspect identified as Edward Josiah approached rice vendors at bus depot at Nkhotakota boma with intention to buy rice.
“Josiah wanted 300 kilograms of rice. Upon hearing this, the vendors battled to make a fortune but Chiyembekezo Kamange, Matola Salephera and Kennedy Ntaja were the lucky ones.
“Josiah negotiated for price with three and they agreed to buy at K260 per kilogram. The deal was sealed and three vendors were supposed to get K78, 000,” he said.
Kaponda said the rice was weighed, put on 50kg sacks and then packed in a minibus which was travelling from Dwangwa to Salima.
“Josiah counted K1000 bank notes amounting to K78, 000 in the presence of the three and gave the cash to Salephera. Josiah later rushed to the minibus to start his return journey.
“As Salephera was counting the cash before sharing to his two colleagues, he suspiciously noted some different features in the K1000 bank notes he was given,” Kaponda said.
The police publicist further said when Salephera alerted his colleagues; Josiah was instantly pulled out of the minibus.
“The three together with the help of other vendors arrested the suspect. According to one statement recorded from the three vendors, while on their way to police the suspect offered a bribe of K4000 to each of the three vendors but they refused,” the police publicist said.
Josiah hails from Kaphanga Village in the area of Traditional Authority Khombeza in Salima and he is expected to appear before Nkhotakota Magistrate Court soon.
