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| National |
| Ruling UDF secretary general, Makwangwala, arrested |
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by
Pilirani Semu-Banda, 08 September 2004
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13:29:49
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UDF Secretary General Kennedy Makwangwala was on Tuesday arrested by Lilongwe Police and charged with malicious damage.
The move follows allegations that Makwangwala damaged two vehicles belonging to Ntcheu Bwanje South MP Marjorie Ngaunje on the night of May 17, three days before the May 20 general elections.
Attorney General Ralph Kasambara, sitting in for Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Ishmael Wadi who is out of the country, confirmed that Makwangwala was nabbed and the DPP left written instructions on file that the suspect should not be granted bail.
“There are allegations that he and his supporters have been threatening witnesses. All this is being done to ensure the security of the witnesses,” said Kasambara.
He said Makwangwala will be taken to court on Wednesday.
Makwangwala said in a telephone interview from his police cell in Lilongwe he reported at Ntcheu Police Station after he received a telephone call in the morning from the station that the police were hunting for him.
“But they told me to proceed with them to Lilongwe Police where, soon after my arrival, they took me into the police cells,” said Makwangwala.
In an interview earlier in the morning, Makwangwala had said he would go to Ntcheu Police because the law enforcers were visiting his house in the district looking for him.
“I stay in Blantyre but they kept on searching for me in my village. I don’t want to inconvenience my relatives there and I am now going to Ntcheu Police to find out why they want me. After all, the police took the trouble to telephone me that they are looking for me,” said Makwangwala.
Makwangwala’s lawyer Paul Maulidi, who serves as Makwangwala’s deputy in the party, said he was surprised that police only arrested his client, claiming that Ngaunje also damaged Makwangwala’s vehicle in the fracas.
UDF spokesman Ken Lipenga said as a party they are obviously sad about Makwangwala’s arrest because he is one of their own.
“Obviously we would prefer if he did not have to find himself in this kind of situation. Our understanding is that an arrest has been made based on certain allegations. We’re mindful of the fact that according to the laws of this country he’s innocent until proven guilty,” said Lipenga.
He said the party’s faith and confidence in Makwangwala remain unshaken and that the UDF believes in the rule of law.
“We have no intention to interfere,” said Lipenga.
Makwangwala lost the May elections to Ngaunje, who contested as an independent candidate after leaving the UDF in protest against party primary elections she said were rigged in favour of the UDF secretary general.
Makwangwala is also facing legal action from President Bingu wa Mutharika’s plain spoken chief of staff Ken Ng’oma and Wadi for defamation and character assassination respectively.
Wadi is claiming K22 million ($203,703) in damages after Makwangwala told Television Malawi in an interview that the DPP could have been appointed to his position because his father was an accountant for Mutharika’s disbanded United Party.
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