MCP war on DPP: The never-ending political abuse of police, courts

..Mwanamvenkha summoned 11 times to Police

..Chisale warns Chimwendo

Using Police and the justice system to stifle your political enemies seem to be a new play book of Malawi’s desperate politicians. President Bakili Muluzi used it on John Tembo and others, Bingu wa Mutharika used it on Bakili Muluzi, Lucius Banda and others who attempted to impeach him. He later had his Vice President Cassim Chilumpha join the list arrested for attempting to assassinate him.

Most Malawian Presidents end up being unpopular or detached from the masses as their lieutenants purge public funds that their successors use it to haunt them. The trend continues under President Lazarus Chakwera, whose fight against corruption has one enemy- the opposition DPP and briefly the UTM.

When a politician is eventually convicted, they are likely to receive a pardon or when acquitted the public pays them again. May be there should be special courts and prisons for politicians to end use of Police and Justice systems to get even.

Former President Peter Mutharika has memories of Lumbadzi Prison alongside Patricia Kaliati, Bright Msaka, Late Goodall Gondwe, Henry Mussa and Nicholasi Dausi under Joyce Banda presidency.

Jessie Kabwila, Bon Kalindo and activists Reverend McDonald Sembereka and Gift Trapence had a stint in Police cells courtesy during the Mutharika regime.

The circus seems to have no ending. We look at some of those arrested/charged under the current regime of President Lazarus Chakwera:

Late Saulos Chilima:

The Vice President who was charged with corruption related cases against British businessman Zuneth Sattar. His charges were dropped after his lawyers wanted evidence that many suspects implicated the MCP leaders. Unfortunately, Chilima was killed in a plane crash before he spoke to Malawians about his case. While the late Chilima was dragged to court, MCP functionaries avoided court, and the Anti-Corruption Bureau made “sweet deals” to return the corrupt obtained items including high value vehicles. Chilima would only be saved by his shrewd legal team’s insistence to have all evidence in advance. Since it implicated individuals inside the MCP, the fight against corruption became a forbidden word that SKC was let go. He is the only politician who pushed for his trial.

The late Vice President who was charged with corruption related cases against British businessman Zuneth Sattar

Joseph Mwanamvenkha- DPP Vice President for South

For former Chief Executive of two commercial banks- Malawi Savings Bank and CDH Bank one would think he was a cartel leader in Mexico due to his frequent visits to Police stations and a few arrests.

Unfortunately, he is yet to have a full trial as charges kept being dropped and at times being restarted and dropped again. And according to analysis, his woes seem to prop up every time the name Richard Chimwendo is mentioned.

Chimwendo denies plotting against other parties- but every time someone from Police or state agencies mention his name, even years after being removed from Homeland Security. Through Commissioner Muwanga, he seems to run the Malawi Police as hunting dogs for the opposition.

yet to have a full trial after all cases on him

Here are Mwanamvenkha’s experiences:

Malawi Savings Bank– according to the former Minister associates, it started with a call from one Chimwendo Banda, accusing him in November 2022 that he was funding anti-government demonstrations. He is said to have told Mwanamvenkha he should not be surprised if he was arrested. Boom, within a week he was arrested over the sale of MSB bank, embarrassingly the matter was dropped after they realized he was not the Minister of Finance then.

IMF misreporting case: In 2021 after he responded to budget statement, Chimwendo Banda, Leader of the House stood in Parliament, accused a former Minister of Finance, Governor of the Reserve Bank and other officials of misreporting to the IMF to portray Malawi’s economy as performing better. Parliamentary record (Hansard) confirms the accusations Chimwendo Banda levelled and a few days later Mwanamvenkha alongside former RBM Governor Dr. Dalitso Kabambe, officials Leah Donga and Rodrick Wiyo were arrested. Mwanamvenkha, despite being accused of misreporting, he was not the Minister of Finance in 2017 when the state negotiated the ECF programme in question.  The former Minister was discharged due to lack of evidence. He was at Trade when the negotiations took place.

ACB joins the league: For some unexplained reasons Mwanamvenkha seems to scare his political opponents, that when another case opened, this time over procurements at Prisons, it is alleged that Chimwendo Banda and one senior figure at State House pushed for his arrest. He was saved by this reckless pursuit of him- he was at the Ministry of Agriculture when the procurement happened, not at Finance. If anything, they should have interviewed him about prison farm projects not uniforms. The case against him collapsed, again.

ACB has tried several occastions to bring cases but all too were not continued

National Bus Company bus depots: In his annual call up to Police, Mwanamvenkha was summoned to Fiscal Police accusing him of selling bus depots which were sold to Leston Mulli of the National Bus Company. The Police missed it again, he was at CDH when the depots were sold by the Privatisation Commission.

Arrested three times and summoned over a dozen times since President Chakwera came into power and instigated by Chimwendo Banda, the DPP Veep fits into the political vendetta prescription as after high profile arrests, the cases are never pursued.

Chisale, loses cool over Chimwendo

On Friday the new DPP Director of Youth Norman Paulosi Chisale lost his cool over his legal woes which includes about eight cases, with two acquittals and countless Police and ACB summons.

let Chimwendo focus on his ministerial post not Homeland security – Chisale

“He is not Minister of Homeland Security to be issuing threats, he is in Local Government,” said Chisale, a frequent guests of the Police and whose property is now subject of forfeiture before any conviction.

Summons and arrests to cover K1.5 trillion scam

In a week Government has been under pressure to explain blatant abuse of power affecting the highest office in the land -the OPC-, the MCP system thought picking usual suspects was the best tactic. Police sources claim they had instructions from above an a long list of DPP officials to be summoned and arrested. The same play of abusing Police and legal systems for political purposes.

Abusing power

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