ESCOM EMPLOYEE ARRESTED OVER FORGED MSCE CERTIFICATE

The Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) in conjunction with the University and Malawi Police Service on Thursday afternoon (25/02/2016) arrested Mr David Maluwa on suspicion of forgery and uttering of false Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) and a Bachelor of Science degree (BSc) in Electrical Engineering.

MANEB Public Relations officer Simeon Maganga confirmed of the development in a statement.

Mr Maluwa, who works as a Faults Operator at the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) in Lilongwe Old Town, is suspected to have forged and uttered a 2007 MSCE with six points and a 2013 BSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Malawi (The Malawi Polytechnic).

“A search on the day of the arrest further showed that Mr Maluwa had three other genuine certificates at MSCE level, one obtained in 1998, one in 2009 and 2013; and had a 1996 Junior Certificate of Education but bearing the name Wyson William Kasauka,” said MANEB Public Relations Officer Simeon Maganga.

Maganga says Mr Maluwa was arrested and taken into police custody, waiting to answer charges of forgery and uttering false documents, contrary to Section 360 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, investigations are going on to get to the root of the matter.

Mr Maluwa’s arrest comes hot on the heels of another arrest of Mr Misheck Mikaya on similar charges earlier this month. Mikaya, 38, who hails from Kasungu, works as a driver and joined Escom in 2004 using a suspected fake MSCE. The matter is not yet concluded.

This month, too, MANEB arrested two employees from the Malawi Postal Corporation (MPC): cleaner/messenger Gibson Mgadamika based at Lumbadzi Post Office in Lilongwe and Mzimba Post Office Assistant Gidness Chaima on similar charges. Futher, MANEB arrested Mr Samson C Mweso, a Lumbadzi-based businessperson who assisted Mgadamika to forge the MSCE at his photocopying bureau.

Mgadamika and Mweso were convicted on their own plea of guilty and were sentenced to a suspended 18 months imprisonment with hard labour and a fine of K30,000.

MANEB would like to thank management of Escom and MPC for the corporation. Further, MANEB continues to appeal to companies (and training institutions) to be sending certificates of their employees (and students) for vetting so as to eradicate forgery and uttering of false certificates.