Cancer detecting equipment recovered, two arrested
Police in Ulongwe, Balaka District, have arrested two people— 31-year-old Geoffrey Chinyama and Laiton Juma, 22— for stealing a cancer detecting machine and personal belongings from Dr Briony Acroyd.
The stolen items have since been recovered.
Both Eastern Region Police spokesperson Joseph Sauka and Balaka Police spokesperson Edith Kachotsa confirmed the development yesterday.
Kachotsa said Balaka Police received information that Dr Acroyd’s portable ultra-sound machine, which is used to diagnose breast cancer, was stolen on February 8, when the doctor was on the way to Mangochi District to attend to patients showing signs of cancer.
Kachotsa said the incident happened when some well-wishers were trying to help after the doctor’s vehicle got stuck in mud due to a rainstorm along the Liwonde- Mangochi Road.
“Upon recipient of this complaint, officers launched investigations into the case, although it was initially reported at Liwonde Police. On February 11, a team of detectives from Ulongwe Police received a tip that someone was keeping a laptop in his house and, in the course of following up on the tip, the officers arrested Chinyama and Juma and recovered the stolen materials including the most wanted ultra sound machine,” Kachotsa said.
Kachotsa said Chinyama and Juma come from Saliwa Village, Traditional Authority Kalembo in Balaka District and will appear in court soon to answer the case of theft.
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