‘Intense phone examination’: Winnie Nyondo questioned for hours at Area 30

Winnie Nyondo, former special assistant to the late vice‑president Saulos Chilima, was put through a gruelling, minute‑by‑minute phone examination on Monday after being summoned to Area 30 Police Headquarters in Lilongwe — a session her lawyer described as unusually intense.

According to Khwima Mchizi, officers combed through Nyondo’s phone in their presence, scrolling through messages, logs and digital traces as they pressed her over allegations that she had deleted a social‑media post supposedly made on 10 June 2024.

But after the exhaustive inspection, Mchizi said, police found no evidence she had posted anything on that date.

Nyondo was later released, with her lawyer stressing she had not been arrested, despite the heavy‑handed scrutiny.

National Police spokesperson Lael Chimtembo said he needed more time to gather information on the matter.

Nyondo’s summons comes just days after she appeared before the Parliamentary Ad‑hoc Committee investigating the plane crash that killed Chilima and eight others — a timing that has only intensified public attention on how she is being treated by authorities.