Police raptured my Appendix – man

A Nkhota-kota man claims police from the district beat him up and ruptured his appendix after he had criticised their “failed” status in providing security and containing vandalism in the district.

Takondwa Phillipo, 39, an employee with a microloan organisation in the district, said he decided to advise police on some of the security areas in the area after noticing wanton vandalism that has seen railings at Bua River reportedly disappear.

I need legal guidance - Phillipo

“I was playing pool with police Oliver Mwabumba, the Officer in Charge (OC) at Nkhota-kota police at a bar and I was telling him about things that I have been noticing such as the stealing of railings from the bridges. I concluded by telling him that his office was incompetent,” said Phillipo. He was speaking from Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe where he has been freshly operated on.

After he told him that, Phillipo said the OC officer stepped aside and make a phone call and mentioned “an operation.”

Phillipo said after he changed bars, three police officers stormed the bar he was patronising and the police demanded that the bar be closed. And when he argued with the police that the bars license allowed operation up to midnight, the policemen arrested him saying he was obstructing them in their duties.

“They took me outside and started beating me with their leather boots, they hit me from all directions and I kept falling and staggering since they had cuffed my hands. They then told me to go to the station and I slept in a cell there despite me asking for medical attention.”

Phillipo was given bail the next afternoon and three days later, Phillipo collapsed in his house and after being rushed to the Nkhota-kota district hospital they diagnosed him with imminent or certain appendix rapture. He was rushed to Kamuzu Central Hospital where his appendix was removed on 17 May.

“All that was to silence me for pointing out the truth…I am a layman and I am yet to be advised on what to do about this issue,” said Phillipo.

Nkhota-kota Police Officer in Charge, Lovemore Mwabumba rubbished Phillipo’s claims when contacted in a phone interview saying Phillipo was arrested after midnight, heavily drunk and he came to the police station cursing.

He admitted playing pool with Phillipo but said it was early in the night and denied sanctioning a hit on him.

“Maybe he uses hemp. We have talked to the arresting officers and police on duty and nothing like that was reported. Why did he rush to the media, why not report this to our regional office? Am very saddened and shocked about this,” said Mwabumba.