Lilongwe Man Arrested for Impersonating OPC Official, Defrauding Village Heads
Published on June 22, 2026 at 4:30 PM by Edgar Naitha
Police in Lilongwe have arrested 45-year-old Benson Mwanjolo for allegedly impersonating an official from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) and defrauding senior group village heads by promising to elevate them to sub-traditional authorities (sub-T/As).
Mwanjolo was reportedly demanding K370,000 from each victim as a processing fee.
According to Central West Region Police Deputy Public Relations Officer Foster Benjamin, between June 17 and 19, 2026, the suspect approached traditional leaders under Traditional Authority Malili and falsely claimed to be an OPC official working with the Ministry of Local Government. He told the leaders he was on a mission to facilitate the elevation of senior group village heads to sub-T/As.
Benjamin said the suspect demanded K370,000 from each victim. However, one of the targeted leaders became suspicious and alerted police, who launched an investigation.
Upon his arrest, officers searched Mwanjolo and found forged documents, which were immediately seized.
He has since been charged with fraud, uttering and altering false documents, and personating a public officer.
Mwanjolo hails from Nyangu Village under Traditional Authority M’bwatalika in Lilongwe District.
