By Rose Ntajah

Billy Mkweta, 39, is in police custody in Mangochi for allegedly stealing K26 million from Ishmael Milambo, a Malawian businessman based in South Africa.

Mangochi police spokesperson Amina Tepani Daudi said Mkweta was arrested on Friday after being tracked through call logs in Zomba where he was hiding.

Daudi said in mid-last year the suspect became friends with Milambo’s son and endeared himself to ever member of the family including the father.

“Between December 2023 and February 2024, Milambo sent money amounting to K26 million to Mkweta after he lied that someone was selling a private cottage along Lake Malawi for K30 million, he posed as an agent and sent fake pictures of the said property to Milambo,” she said.

During the same period the suspect also convinced the victim’s wife and made off with two deep freezer fridges and a Huawei p30 Lite cellphone from the shop worth K2.2 million, falsely claiming that he had a buyer in Zomba.

After successfully stealing from the family the suspect cut off communication and went on the run prompting the victim to return home.

Mkweta has been charged with theft and efforts are underway to recover the K26 million.