Ntata back in Malawi: Free man, no treason charge
Former legal adviser to former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika Allan Ntata who was believed to be on Malawi Police wanted list for treason charges, is back home from UK after the election of Professor Peter Mutharika as President.
Ntata left the country for the United Kingdom (UK) before the late Mutharika was buried.
In March 2013, police claimed he was charged in absentia alongside Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Peter Mutharika, former Cabinet ministers in the Bingu wa Mutharika administration and former chief secretary to the Government Bright Msaka were charged with treason.
The officials were standing trial for allegedly taking part in a plot to stop former president Joyce Banda from ascending to power following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika in April 2012.
But Ntata, a barrister at law, claimed he was never charged or told that he was wanted for any crime.
He visited Malawi for six weeks between July and August last year and he moved freely within Malawi and returned to UK without receiving any question from Malawian authorities.
Ntata sued the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for claiming that he was being wanted for treason allegations in Malawi.
While in the UK, Ntata has been key operative for the DPP campaign with his writing on various media outlets including Nyasa Times column pages under ‘Chief Mourner’ name.
He also produced a report ‘Licence to loot’ which chronicled issues of cashgate corruption scandal under the previous Banda regime and took an anti-corruption activism role.
Ntata has been freely walking in Malawi and no charges has been pressed or interrogation.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has dismissed treason charges against newly elected President Mutharika and is consulting the Attorney General (AG) on the possibility of dropping similar charges which others are facing.
The DPP members charged alongside Mutharika include Jean Kalirani, Kondwani Nankhumwa and Patricia Kaliati who have since been re-elected as Members of Parliament (MPs), Goodall Gondwe, Nicholas Dausi, Simon Vuwa Kaunda and Msaka.
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