Police officers in Likoma are allegedly taking bribes from Mozambican business owners, allowing them to board MV Ilala through on Lake Malawi without following covid-19 preventative procedures.

The above has called for an investigation, considering that the government of Malawi imposed a ban on cross border movement as a measure to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Likoma police spokesperson, MacClif Ngulube, told Zodiak Broadcasting Station that the matter has indeed been reported and is under investigation.

As of 11 June 2020, Mozambique has 472 confirmed cases, 138 recoveries and 2 deaths. Malawi has seen a surge in coronavirus  to 455 confirmed cases this week, attributed to Malawians that were repatriated from Southafrica and were coronavirus positive. Should the police in Likoma be guilty of the bribery, Malawi could see it reach at least 1000 confirmed cases by the end of June. Fearing the spread of the virus, Likoma’sSub Traditional Authority, Mwase mobilized members of the community to follow up on reports of the alleged bribery.