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| National |
| Aironi to sue Newa |
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by
George Ntonya, 15 June 2004
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09:01:14
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Inspector General of Police Joseph Aironi has instructed his lawyers to claim damages from chairman of Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) Rodgers Newe for defamation, but HRCC has said the lawsuit would not stop it from pressuring government to remove Aironi from office on grounds of incompetence.
A letter from Chisanga and Company dated June 4, 2004 says the law firm had received instructions from Aironi to claim damages for defamation arising from an article that appeared in The Nation newspaper of June 2, 2004.
The newspaper quoted Newa as asking Aironi to confirm that he feared former Minister of Water Development Dumbo Lemani, New Dawn of Africa leaders Thom Chiumia and Ken Ndanga, because the police did not arrest them after allegations that they assaulted human rights activist Emmie Chanika at Comesa Hall during the election period.
“Your remarks meant and were understood to mean that our client is an incompetent man and has not taken action on some people in particular Messrs Lemani, Chiumia and Ndanga just because he fears them. Your utterances have demeaned our client and have put him to shame and ridicule in the minds of the right thinking members of the public,” reads part of the letter, which also demands an apology from Newa within seven days.
“Our client demands an apology to be published in the same newspaper with the same prominence within seven days from today’s date. The apology should be vetted by us before being published,” reads the letter adding that the apology would not, however, deter Aironi from proceeding with court action against Newa.
But Newa and other leaders of human rights organisations affiliated to HRCC told a press conference in Lilongwe on Monday that Aironi was free to proceed with the court case because HRCC had proof that Aironi had failed his office.
“We are not making an apology. He can proceed with the legal action. We are ready to defend ourselves,” Newa said.
“We have evidence that the office of the Inspector General has been incompetent and we stand by our statement,” executive director of Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) Ollen Mwalubunju chipped in adding that the threat by Aironi to sue would not stop HRCC from pressuring government to replace Aironi.
HRCC, Newa and his colleagues said they intend to petition the new Parliament through its Public Appointments Committee (PAC).
“We are appealing to him to resign honourably. If he does not, we’ll force him because we, as tax payers, cannot be paying for an office that is incompetent,” Mwalubunju said, citing the recent police shooting of an innocent girl in Blantyre and the shooting of university student, late Fanikiso Phiri in Zomba two years ago as some of the incidents that depict lack of professionalism in the police service. He also accused the police of bias towards the ruling party.
Recently the clergy also asked for the removal of Aironi on similar grounds but the Inspector General dismissed the call saying it was based on hatred emanating from differences in religion.
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