Dausi says Fr Mulomole’s robbery not by regime thugs

Malawi government has parried away fears that robbers who invated offices at Zomba Diocese Research and Development where Peter Mulomole—the outspoken spokesperson of the Public Affairs Committee (PAC)—also works were regime thugs.

There were assertions that the regime thugs may have been behind the incident to instill fear and panic to PAC spokesman  after  a quasi-religious body and governance watchdog had delivered a statement at news conference that poorly rated the administration of President Peter Mutharika and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), saying it has failed to govern the country.

But Minister of Information, Communication Technology Nicholous Dausi, who is also government spokeman, reacted to the news reports, saying is simply wrong to blame government on the “regrettable robbery act.”

Said Dausi in a statement emailed to Nyasa Times: “It is unfair to suggest that the crime was orchestrated by agents of Government in response to an uncomplimentary statement by Public Affairs Committee (PAC) last week without evidence.”

Dausi said the attack on government by PAC is not the first time, but, as always, government “will continue to defend their right to speak even as we do not agree with them. “

The statement reads in part: “This Government does not believe in using violence against voices of dissent. In any case, the statement by PAC was unanimously condemned by the public and has no effect that it can worry Government.”

Dausi said government  “sympathise” with the Catholic Church to which the affected property belong and Father Mulomole whose office was directly affected.

“We commend Father Mulomole for refusing, even in his distress, to speculate on the alleged crime. We agree with him that until the findings of the investigations are completed by the police, any speculation is counter-productive,” said Dausi.

The robbers went away with K2.5 million in cash, computers and other office equipment.

PAC would be holding ‘future of Malawi’ conference in May this year where it will ask Malawians to decide the next action.