K5 million plot for Kasambara’s ambush revealed

Kasambara: The Lord is my shepherd

President Bingu Mutharika meant his word when he threatened during a news conference to deal decisively with lawyer Ralph Kasambara as Nyasa Times can authoritatively reveal a plot  to trap the legal brain box has been given K5 million by Mutharika. 

Well placed sources told Nyasa Times that Mutharika has offered K5 million to be used in a plot to “trap” Kasambara. 

The story was corroborated by a senior ruling DPP official from the northern region that indeed Mutharika has gone ahead to substantiate his threats on Kasambara by fuelling his attack. 

Presidential spokesman Chikumbutso Mtumodzi is named as commandeer of the sinister plot. 

Mtumodzi could not grant a telephone interview saying he was at a “bad network reception.” 

Kasambara when contacted said he has also been tipped about the plan but sounded calm. 

“Yes I have got a tip off on that one but the Lord is my shepherd,” said the lawyer. 

Kasambara who is also president of Congress for Democrats (Code) party sounded more religious on the matter. 

“I refer you to the Bible; Job chapter 13 verse 13,” he said. 

On whether he was cowed by the threats, Kasambara answered: “As Code we believe we fight over issues not on personality.” 

He also quoted the scriptures; “Vengeance is not for me but for the Lord.”

Mutharika verbally attacked Kasambara for representing Mulanje Milling Company Limited which challenged an Order made under the Agriculture (General Purposes) Act in judicial review proceedings. 

The order constituted ADMARC as the only designated seller and buyer of maize and fixed the maximum selling price for maize.  

The President insinuated that Kasambara had waged or was involved in a war against him and the government and further challenged that he would see what would happen after the court matter came to an end. 

“It is the exercise of this right that ensures that we are governed by the rule of law and not the rule of men,” said MLS in a statement. 

Malawi Law Society described President Mutharika actions against private practise lawyer as a threat to the rule of law. “To attack a legal practitioner in private or in public simply because he has taken up a case in which subsidiary legislation is challenged is a serious threat to the rule of law,” said the statement. 

“In such cases, legal practitioners are usually the last frontier of freedom and democracy.  By taking up such cases they defend the rights of their clients, and ultimately, the rights guaranteed to all by the Constitution,” it said.

Mutharika has a tendency of intimidating judges, lawyers, journalists and legislators as well.