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Mwaungulu barred from officiating match
By
Leonard Sharra - 25-06-2002 |
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High Court Judge Justice Dunstain Mwaungulu had to leave Silver Strikers football stadium, venue for Sunday’s Parliamentarians versus Army officers match, minutes before the game after being told he was not the one to officiate the game.
A source at the stadium told The Nation that the parliamentarians side refused to have Mwaungulu on the officiating panel after the judge was invited by organisers of the match, the army camp. But Mwaungulu refused to comment on the issue, when approached by the press.
“No comment. It’s just fun,” said Mwaungulu, who was clad in sports wear as he drove off the stadium’s car park.
Mwaungulu has been at loggerheads with members of parliament, who petitioned President Bakili Muluzi to remove the judge and two of his colleagues for alleged misconduct and incompetence. The judge also irked the ruling party, when he quashed a presidential ban on demonstrations for or against the third term before another judge, Atanazio Tembo, had upheld the ban.
However, both the Parliament and Armed forces camps denied any political linkage between what happened on Sunday and what Members of Parliament discussed about the judge.
“That’s not true. Mwaungulu and the Chief Justice were supposed to officiate the Blantyre match involving MPs and Diplomats (which comes later on) and the organisers might have decided to cut on costs by engaging Lilongwe-based match officials. If Mwaungulu was to officiate, they were to meet his food, accommodation and other costs,” said Rodrick Mulonya, personal assistant to the Speaker of the National Assembly.
Mulonya added that the MPs did not have any details about the officiating personnel, saying they were just invited by the Army/Defence Ministry for the charity match, whose proceeds were going to the army.
Lieutenant Colonel Clement Namangale, the Army spokesman concurred with Mulonya, explaining: “There is nothing big. He might not have got the information that he will officiate the Blantyre match and the PS explained to him that the Lilongwe match is being handled by a Lilongwe crew comprising Judge Mtambo, Bester Kalombo and (Sydney) Mainala. |
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