A family in Mzuzu is in a state of confusion after a female police officer in the Criminal Investigations Department at Mzuzu Police Station had her husband arrested after she was allegedly caught in the act and he raised a racket.

In separate interviews, both the police and the husband, Patrick Chavula, confirmed the arrest on Sunday.

Sources told The Weekend Times that Bertha Mthandi Chavula persuaded fellow police officers to lock up Chavula after picking up a quarrel with him. Chavula spent two days in the cooler.

In a telephone interview, Chavula said on Saturday his estranged wife called him to say she had gone to Salima.

"She called me asking if I could give her some money but I told her I also needed cash from her as I had planned to travel to Kasungu that day.

"She then advised me to ask her fellow police officer (a Mr. Gondwe) if he could lend me some money. But I insisted she must do that on my behalf.

"But when I called her again to find out if she had asked him about the money, I overheard her asking her maid to arrange bathing water for her. This prompted me to ask where ex¬actly she was through an SMS to which she did not respond," said Chavula.

Chavula said he grew suspicious of his wife's whereabouts, so he stormed her house where he found her with another man.

"I found a car outside her house and two men. But upon entering her bedroom, I could not believe my eyes to see her with another man who escaped when I yelled at him, asking what he was doing with my wife," said Chavula.

Chavula explained that he then fought with his wife. But Bertha dis-missed Chavula's claims and alleged he wanted to rape her.

"Mr. Chavula is my ex-husband who came to my house to rape me. He tore apart my clothes and my beads," said Bertha.

Bertha said she had obtained a restriction order against him but he habitually defies it because of excessive jealousy.

"He is prevented from coming to my house by the order which I obtained but he still comes at will to harass me. He is jealous and he even beats me when I am on duty. You can ask people from Mzuzu, he is like that," she said.

"The issue will be in court next Monday. By the way, do you want to write about this in the newspa¬pers?" asked Bertha.

While confirming about the order, Chavula alleged it was Bertha who was defying it by calling him to visit her.

"I can even give you the number of her neighbour who has been spotting me visiting her in the past. Did she show a divorce certificate when she told you that I am her ex-husband? If she wants she should take me to court to divorce me," said Chavula.

Mzuzu Police spokesperson Edward Longwe said Chavula was arrested for assault following a complaint from his wife.

"Mr. Chavula is my ex-husband who came to my house to rape me. He tore apart my clothes and my beads."