Police in Kasungu, Malawi have arrested a primary school teacher for allegedly forging documents to fake his own death in an attempt to have his outstanding bank loan cancelled.

The teacher was said to have submitted fraudulent death documents to the bank, leading the financial institution to believe he had died and subsequently sympathise with his family.

Based on the documents allegedly presented, the bank reportedly wrote off the teacher’s outstanding loan.

However, the alleged scheme was uncovered four years later when the teacher returned to the same bank to apply for another loan.

His application reportedly triggered an alert in the bank’s system, which showed that he had previously been declared dead.

The discovery prompted the bank to alert the authorities, leading to the teacher’s arrest.

Kasungu Police spokesperson, Miracle Hauli, confirmed the arrest but declined to provide further details about the case.Hauli said more information would be made available as investigations continue.

The case has drawn attention due to the unusual circumstances surrounding the alleged attempt to fake a death in order to evade repayment of a bank loan.