Malawi Prisons Service says lack of detecting machines in the country’s prisons is aiding smuggling of cellphones into prison cells.

Commissioner of Prisons, Wandika Phiri, disclosed this to Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Wednesday when she was summoned to explain what she is doing to deal with mobile money fraud involving inmates at Zomba Central Prison.

The committee’s chairperson Joyce Chitsulo told YONECO FM Online that lack of funding to procure detecting equipment is the main challenge leading to easy entry of phones into prisons.

Chitsulo said the committee will lobby for funding to improve security in prisons.