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| National |
| UDF tipped on Muluzi’s arrest |
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by
Olivia Kumwenda, 07 April 2005
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14:55:46
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UDF says it believes rumours that President Bingu wa Mutharika is planning to have former president Bakili Muluzi arrested as soon as Parliament adjourns.
Party spokesperson Sam Mpasu said in a statement issued on Wednesday evening the rumours were authenticated when a very senior civil servant verbally told Muluzi that he would be arrested so that he should spend more time at the courts and have no time for politics.
But Mpasu refused to name the civil servant when asked in an interview on Wednesday, saying “it’s enough to say that the person is a civil servant”.
According to the statement, the civil servant advised Muluzi that he would not escape the arrest unless he stopped his political activities.
“It is completely unconstitutional, illegal and immoral that President Mutharika should attempt to use the police or any other state instruments to silence or suppress other political parties in their own legitimate political activities. This is political intolerance which is both undemocratic and unconstitutional. It is dictatorship,” reads part of the statement.
The statement also described the planned arrest of the UDF leader as a deliberate attempt to destroy the party and all other parties which criticise government over its mistakes.
“The UDF wishes to remind His Excellency President Mutharika that the Republican Constitution, which he swore to preserve and defend, guarantees the freedom of association and speech as well as the right to engage in legitimate political activity,” reads the statement.
Information Minister Ken Lipenga, who doubles as government spokesperson, said he is not aware of the planned arrest by government.
“I am not aware of anything like that. Maybe you should talk to the police,” said Lipenga.
He added that he sees no reason for Muluzi to panic if he has done nothing wrong.
Police public relations officer Willie Mwaluka said the police has no knowledge about the issue.
“We do not know anything about that, those are just rumours,” said Mwaluka.
Efforts to reach the Attorney General Ralph Kasambara to comment on the issue proved futile as both his land and mobile phones went unanswered.
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