Anti- Mutharika lawyer Kasambara out on bail
A leading private practice lawyer and critic of President Bingu wa Mutharika, Ralph Kasambara, has finally been freed on bail, lawyer Wapona Kita told Nyasa Times on Wednesday.
Kita a lawyer in Kasambara’s law firm, Ralph and Arnolds – said he had picked the former Attorney General at Chichiri Prison to his home in Nyambadwe.
“Yes Ralph Kasambara is out on bail,” said Kita. “I have just picked him from Chichiri Prison.”
Kasambara’s house was earlier searched by security forces . According to Kita, the search was monitored by Malawi Law Society president John Gift Makhwawa and several lawyers.
He was arrested on Monday after his guards apprehended a gang of five hired thugs who were allegedly sent to lob Molotov cocktails of petrol bomb at his office.
Magistrate Innocent Nebi granted Kasambara bail on a 20,000 Malawi kwacha (slightly over US$ 120) and that he must be reporting to the Blantyre Police Station every Friday.
Political persecution
Government insiders say is facing political persecution following his rallying call for the impeachment of the Head of State.
Kasambara , who was President Mutharika’s first Attorney General when he took over the reigns of power in 2004, last weekend hard-hitting interviews with two leading weeklies, The Weekend Nation and The Sunday Times.
In the interviews he called for the impeachment of President Mutharika who is becoming increasingly unpopural.
“Malawians must understand that the person they employed as the President of their country and gave him the terms and conditions of service as the Constitution has defiled the conditions of service,” opined Kasambara in The Weekend Nation.
“Malawians have options: they should ask the President to resign or they should impeach him. He wants to be a dictator.”
He added: “People must stop recognising him as President and his administration. These can be done by refusing to pay tax; shunning all government functions as it will be an illegal government…and where possible they (Malawians) must engage in simultaneous public demonstrations to express their anger and frustrations.”
Mutharika’s style of governance has alienated him with almost all sections of the society including religious and civil society leaders.-(Additional reporting Pana)
