Phoya accuses Chiume of making ‘serious allegations’
Respectable politician and former justice minister, Henry Duncan Phoya (HDP) on Tuesday cautioned Minister of Justice, Ephraim Chiume, for making “serious allegations” in parliament against critic of President Bingu wa Mutharika, Ralph Kasambara.
Chiume, making a statement in Parliament, alleged that Kasambara applied Nali chilli on the private parts of a gang of three men.
Kasambara, a lawyer, politician and activist, was arrested Feb. 13, accused of kidnapping and torturing regime thugs who confessed they were sent by the government led by Presidential valet Paulos Chisale to firebomb his office.
“The suspects had their private parts applied with Nali and were pierced with safety pins,” Chiume told parliament.
But Phoyasaid the Justice Minister had made “serious allegations” on Kasambara.
Information Minister Patricia Kaliati also alleged that Kasambara attempted to sexually assault the men, an allegation which has prompted the former Attorney General to demand damages in the region of K60 million or sue Kaliati for defamation.
Chiume also maintained that Kasambaraand his bodyguards tortured the Bingu wa Mutharika thugs.
The Minister however vehemently defended the Mutharika thugs, saying they were not going to fire-bomb Kasambara’s offices.
Another learnt lawyer, former vice president Cassim Chilumpha, also contributed, asking the minister to explain why Kasambara was still being detained despite being given a court bail.
“It is clear that a release order and bail were given to Mr. Kasambara on February 15. Nothing confines where a court can sit. If there is something wrong with the way the orders were given, then it should go through the judicial process to have these orders removed. You don’t flout court orders,” Chilumpha said.
Chiume claimed the bail which lawyers of Kasambara got from the Blantyre Magistrate Court was not dully applied, claiming “court proceeding took place at Shoprite complex.”
He said: “At the time of the bail application, junior member of staff in the Judiciary were on strike, yet a court clerk suspended his strike and took part in the bail application.”
He also indicated that the application was processed without giving enough notice to the police and the office of the Attorney General.
Meanwhile, Kasambara is no longer being watched by police at Mwaiwathu hospital where he is being treated for heart problems.
Lawyer Wapona Kita said police left the hospital after making Kasambara sign bail documents.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
