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Police have ordered UDF district governor for Blantyre Eric Chiwaya to pay a fine of K4,500 ($46) for a hit and run driving offence in which he injured one person and also for being found driving an uninsured car without a driving licence.
The police have given the governor up to next Tuesday to comply with the order or have his vehicle impounded.
Police records indicate that Chiwaya, while driving a UDF Nissan pickup registration BM 8231, hit and injured Hawa Maulidi in February this year in Chilomoni during the UDF parliamentary primary elections in Blantyre City West constituency.
The victim sustained a fracture on the lower jaw and some head injuries.
After the accident preliminary charges on him included inconsiderate driving, failing to report an accident within 24 hours and driving an uninsured motor vehicle.
The records indicated that during the time of the accident Chiwaya had no driving licence with him.
John Namalenga from the Police Public Relations Office said yesterday that the case took some time for police to come up with a decision because they were still investigating what led to the accident and other facts before they could charge Chiwaya.
“We have ordered him to pay a fine of K4,500 by Tuesday next week or we are going to impound that vehicle,” said Namalenga.
He said Chiwaya has only been charged with driving an uninsured motor vehicle without a licence. Namalenga could not explain why the other charges, like failing to report an accident within 24 hours was dropped.
According to Namalenga, Chiwaya had a driving licence which he had left home during the accident and was later presented to police
Namalenga said since police have fined Chiwaya and that the vehicle had no insurance it was up to the victim to drag the district governor to court for compensation.
One of the relatives of the victim, William Bakili, said yesterday the family wants compensation because Maulidi is now incapacitated and cannot think properly following the head injuries.
“We have struggled all this time to get a police report. Yes the fine is okay on the part of police since it was a road accident but we are not satisfied the victim has to be compensated,” said Bakili.
Chiwaya in a separate interview on Thursday said he has not received the order.
“Probably it is at the party’s headquarters,” he said.
Chiwaya said anything to do with the case has to be referred to the party since he was only driving a vehicle which belongs to the UDF.
“It is just like a driver when he has an accident it is up to the company to make a decision on what to do. I do not even know that the vehicle had no insurance,” he said.
He declined to comment on why he was driving without a licence.
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