Malawians Arrested At Bangkok Aids Conference

Malawians arrested at Bangkok Aids conference

BANGKOK: -- The Aids Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, ended on a shameful note for Malawi when two officials among the country’s delegation failed to make the trip back as they found themselves with police and immigration authorities..

Sources from the Malawian delegation say Kumbukani Black, head of National Association for People Living HIV/Aids in Malawi (Napham) was picked by Thai security authorities after shop owners alleged he had picked some items without paying.

“On the eve of their return to Malawi, he went into a shop and picked some items, and other items were allegedly found hid in one of his bags,” said the source, adding that Black was arrested, charged and was in jail in Bangkok.

National Aids Commission (Nac) Executive Director, Dr. Bizwick Mwale confirmed that Black was indeed left back in Thailand, “after having slight problems with authorities’.

Said Mwale: “He had some problems in payment of things he went to buy, it is alleged, because I was not at the shop. But I hear that Black went back into a shop to exchange an item, when he had left some items on the counter. The shop people allegedly said a lot of goods costing about US$80 were not paid for."

Mwale also confirmed Black was still in Thailand, adding: “By the time we were coming he had not yet appeared before court because there was no magistrate available on that day.”

But Mwale said he was not aware of another Malawian official, who is alleged to have lost his passport to a Thai sex worker, after he failed to meet the bill the woman had given for night services.

“The man got himself into this problem after the woman stole the passport for nonpayment of the services. He was left behind so that diplomatic officials provide him with travel documents back home,” said a source, who was on the trip but asked for anonymity.

-- nationmalawi.com 2004-07-23