By Burnett Munthali
Police in Jenda, Mzimba, have arrested Prophet Isaac Mkandawire of Jerusalem Ministries and his accomplice, Eunice Soko, for attempting to defraud people by presenting a small-sized coffin, which they claimed had supernatural powers.
The arrest occurred on Sunday following reports from villagers who noticed suspicious behavior from the duo.
According to Jenda Police spokesperson, Macfarlen Mseteka, the suspects were reported to have been demanding money from individuals in exchange for prayers.
One woman, who was involved in the incident, woke up to find the small coffin outside her house.
She immediately reported the matter to the village headman, who, in turn, alerted other villagers.
Upon inspecting the coffin, they discovered several charms hidden inside.
As the villagers tried to figure out what had happened, Prophet Mkandawire arrived and offered a spiritual explanation for the mysterious occurrence.
He claimed that the coffin possessed magical powers that could be used to bewitch the woman’s child, who was residing in South Africa.
In exchange for freeing the child from the alleged spell, the prophet demanded K350,000.
Mseteka further explained that some villagers became suspicious, especially since they had previously seen Eunice Soko in the village before the incident occurred.
Further investigations revealed that the duo had already defrauded K 150 ,000 from a nearby village using a similar scam.
As a result, Prophet Mkandawire and Eunice Soko were charged with conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and fraud, in addition to false pretense.
The case has raised concerns among local communities regarding fraudulent activities disguised as spiritual practices.
The police have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities that may result in similar fraudulent schemes.
