The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has apprehended Lawrent Kagona, an Immigration Officer, on charges of soliciting and accepting K300,000 to expedite the issuance of a passport for an applicant, a process that typically costs K50,000.

Reuben Anjiru Kaliza, a nurse at Zomba Central Mental Hospital, has been sentenced to three years of hard labour imprisonment by the Senior Resident Magistrate Court in Zomba for severely injuring a patient admitted to the facility.

Louis Makiyi, the Eastern Region Police Prosecution Officer, stated that on the night of October 28-29, 2024, Joseph Mbale, a patient at Zomba Mental Hospital, awoke around 2:00 AM and began making noise in the rehabilitation ward corridor, disturbing his fellow patients who were trying to sleep and prompting them to take a bath.

Makiyi further informed the court that Kaliza, who was one of the nurses on duty that night, was irritated by Mbale’s actions and unlawfully struck him, resulting in an injury to his spleen. This incident was subsequently reported to the hospital administration, which referred the case to the police for further investigation.

In court, the nurse entered a plea of not guilty, leading the prosecutor to present seven witnesses, including the victim, staff members who were on duty that night, and the doctor from Zomba Central Hospital who performed surgery on the victim. After considering the testimonies of all witnesses and the accused, the court found the nurse guilty of the charge of grievous harm.

Senior Resident Magistrate Sabina Malimbasa sentenced Kaliza to three years of hard labour imprisonment, intending to serve as a warning to other nurses regarding the treatment of patients.