Fake Reserve Bank Official Arrested For Stealing Cement And Lime In Mzuzu
Published on June 6, 2026 at 9:16 PM by Evance Kapito
Police in Mzuzu have arrested a 34-year-old man, Warning Banda, for allegedly posing as an official from the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) to obtain building materials worth K480,000 through deception.
According to Mzuzu Police Assistant Public Relations Officer Sergeant Edson Chipeni, the incident occurred on June 5, 2026, at around 8:00 a.m. at Sonda Market in Mzuzu City.
Chipeni said Banda went to a hardware shop owned by Dalira Kumwenda and claimed he had been sent by Reserve Bank officials to collect 10 bags of cement and two bags of Ndola lime.
Believing the request to be genuine, the shop manager released the materials after recognizing the name of an RBM official based in Mzuzu, without verifying the claim.
The fraud came to light when the shop owner later contacted the RBM official regarding payment and was informed that the bank had not sent anyone to collect the goods.
The matter was reported to Mchengautuwa Police Unit, and while officers were handling the complaint, they received information that a man was attempting to use the same trick at another shop in Kaviwale.
Police swiftly responded and arrested the suspect. Officers recovered all 10 bags of cement and two bags of lime taken from the first shop, as well as an additional bag allegedly obtained from the second shop.
Banda hails from Paulosi Chisi Village under Traditional Authority Mtwalo in Mzimba District and is expected to appear before court to answer charges related to fraud.
