Kamlepo says PP MPs pleaded with Mutharika not to arrest Joyce Banda; ‘I cannot join DPP or MCP’

There is total confusion in the opposition People’s Party (PP) after a group of some legislators from the party on Sunday night secretly met President Peter Mutharika at Kamuzu Palace, with the party’s vice president Kamlepo Kalua disclosing that they went to plead with the President to ensure former president Joyce Banda should be allowed to return home and not be arrested.

Kamlepo: No ifs, no buts the electoral reforms bill will pass in Parliament but PP Mps went to President Mutharika to ask that Joyce Banda should not bearrested
Matola: The party is not involved in the talks with the Executive
Joyce Banda: Staying abroad

Banda, fondly addressed as JB by her followers, is founder and president of PP and has been living abroad since losing the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections.

Malawi police issued an arrest warrant JB in connection with the country’s “Cashgate” corruption scandal, which involved large-scale looting of government coffers.

The national police spokesman James Kadadzera said Banda is “suspected of abusing her office” in the Cashgate scandal.

Speaking onTimesTalk program monitored  by Nyasa Times  through  live online streaming on Times Radio on Tuesday evening, Kalua said the PP legislators went to Kamuzu Palace at persuade President Mutharika to ensure his predecessor comes back home without facing political persecution.

“We went there to ask the President to allow our leader return home and not face arrest. Our party is disintegrating because our leader is away; parties are poaching MPs from PP. We want our leader to come so we can keep the party intact,” Kalua said.

Asked by host Brian Banda- who is former press officer of Banda when he was State President between 2012 and 2014 – on why PP legislators had to ask President Mutharika for Banda’s immunity, Kalua sounding furious, said they had an earlier meeting with Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Kondwani Nankhumwa, who is also Leader of the House and governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) campaign director on the matter.

“We met Nankhumwa at parliament to express our concerns and he said he would facilitate the meeting with the President so that we could discuss the matter with him,” said Kalua.

Put to him why he sounded highly-charged, Kalua said he was annoyed with “propaganda” and “reports” that the MPs have started pocketing K20 000 a day as additional allowance from government.

Pressed to explain why they were bargaining with President Mutharika on Banda’s immunity, Kalua snapped: “You don’t negotiate with a friend, you negotiate with an enemy.”

He further charged: “We have been meeting Chakwera (leader of opposition), do you report about it? So why Mutharika.”

Asked to say what was President Mutharika’s response to their plea for Banda’s amnesty, Kalua said they were assured that the former president will not be arrested.

“In his own words President Mutharika said he has told regional Heads of State and international community that Joyce Banda will not be arrested is she returns back home,” said Kalua emphatically.

Kalua said he will not be party to plans to have working relationship with DPP but stuck to his story that the meeting was meant to plead for the safe return of JB.

“I will not join DPP, I am PP and I will never join DPP and I will not even join MCP. I will remain PP. But we want our leader Joyce Banda to come back home,” said Kalua.

Quizzed what will be his next political move if PP agrees an alliance with DPP, Kalua said: “I would rather contest as an independent MP.”

During the same TimeTalk programme, Brian Banda also interviewed PP secretary general Ibrahim Matola on what Kalua said.

Matola said the party never sanctioned negotiations on Banda’s safe return.

He said the party was not informed about the Kamuzu Palace meeting and that the revelations of the talks with Mutharika have backfired.

However, when TimesTalk again contacted Kalua to comment, he said Matola was not being truthful as he was in a PP delegation to attend the meeting at Kamuzu Palace, “only that he was turned back at the gate”.

Matola was reportedly turned back under the pretext that the discussions had not reached party level.

On whether the engagement of the MPs is meant for DPP to get PP legislators to see their agenda be driven in Parliament on the electoral reforms bill, Kalua said the proposed legislations “will pass” and that there is “no ifs, no buts.”

According to Kalua, former president Banda was aware of the meeting and that his son, Roy Kachale who is MP for Zomba Malosa as part of the delegation which met Mutharika.

Kalua also said there has been an involvement of Banda’s sister, Cecilia Kumpukwe in the negotiation.

But Banda’s aides claim she is not seeking amnesty from arrest, rejecting any wrong doing in Cashgate.

Cashgate is the biggest financial scandal in Malawi’s history and helped push Banda out of power in 2014.

That came after she ordered an audit the previous year which discovered that $30 million had been looted by officials in less than six months in 2013.

Dozens of civil servants, business people and politicians have since been implicated in the scam, and some have been jailed.

International donors pulled the plug on aid of around $150 million over the scandal.

 

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Morgan
6 years ago

People take it easy,if a party in government starts looking for partner s just know that things are not adding up in there. If kamlepo goes to DPP or works with DPP, that is the end of him. That will be constructive resignation as an mp for RU east. Bushiri is a prophet,yes,he only said he will vote for peter.he never said peter will win in 2019.am afraid u will call him a fake one on that account. HE SAID I WILL VOTE FOR PETER NOT THAT PETER WILL WIN. Only TB Joshua is a prophet that sees major events… Read more »

Jamax
Jamax
6 years ago

This what e call POLITICS now ask yourself what will happen next – By the time it is 2019 DPP will have even more than 70% of the majority followes than MCP it’s nothing else but a dirty GAME.

Nganiza Muthulika
6 years ago
Reply to  Jamax

How can PP join DDP? U see umbuli ni kusaziwa politics in Malawi. DDP/Munthatika is snake. Remember How they used UDF then dump Muluzi. The same they JB to get womensVotes Then dump her. Can u not Learn? I can see Malawians Who have not lived abroad KU zalo za zungu are very low in pyschology thinking. APM can say he will not arrest just he promised Muluzi. But the law will ask JB to answer cashgate. Its only the court can gsrantee JB. What is wrong withp eople withiout using brain. Leave JB. She will come She can get… Read more »

Mkwapu
Mkwapu
6 years ago

Confused pp mp

chingolopiyo
chingolopiyo
6 years ago

I can assure esteemed readers that its all about the 5-1 loss. We will see thing that show how confused the ruling party. They will try all possible means to try and change the direction of thinking by Malawian. All of this will fail big time. The bottom line is Malawians are tired of theft, corruption, nepotism and violence. These fundamental election issues cannot be resolved by the DPP before the next elections. In fact we see increased myopism by the DPP as time passes. Unfortunately this is a party in denial and they will only realise when they will… Read more »

Nganiza Muthulika
6 years ago
Reply to  chingolopiyo

The problem lies in Majoritet of Malawians are ignorant. They still see him as something high despite their suffering. So many young Malawians have NO. Knowledge of this.man except angova a professor and.their tribe. Kungona ndi kusampuzila is dangerous. He plays on.Malawians ignorance. I like Zambian. They are shape. Malawians will remain poor as long as they are Kungona. Thinking Jesus will help them. Shame. Very educated Malawians I meet abroad can not stand the others home. Why is it like this? Did Kamuzu Banda did.a Great brain damange in 32 years of his ruling? We shall.see Zimbabwians If they… Read more »

santana
santana
6 years ago

MCP was rumoured to form an alliance with PP in 2019 elections especially if there will be need for a re-run. PP wanted to do it to punish DPP for its alleged torture of JB. The leader of PP was rumourred to be speaking one language with Prophet Bushiri to destroy DPP. Recently Bushiri changed tone and started to praise Mutharika meaning Amayi is alone in her work of destroying APM. These two are related in marriage. Amayi now thinks she cannot destroy APM single handedly with the change of mind Bushiri has done. But siding with Chakwera to punish… Read more »

Central
Central
6 years ago

Kaluwa so President Mutharika assured your team that the former president will not be arrested and further went on and added that he has told regional Heads of State and international community that Joyce Banda will not be arrested if she returns back home?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh

So now it is true that in Malawi the President arrest people for reasons known to him not the police!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

What an eye opener………………………………………………!

Mzika
Mzika
6 years ago

Kamlepo is a big Liar

Maunits
Maunits
6 years ago

Pathfinder dont you see Kalua is an opposition member. He has been vocal about George Chaponda do you think to meet MCP is an issue no because they speak one language. But meeting of different language raises a lot of questions all over the world

Gogodasi
6 years ago

If Joyce Banda is innocent why should it involve party members to negotiate with Government for safe haven? The best is to let her come back home and the courts will protect her from arrest if they don not find her guilty of any wrong doing. Kamlepo thinks he can fool us. He will pay heavily for this conduct. By the way did you take a cup of tea when you went Kamuzu Palace? If you did, that’s the beginning of drama.

Amfana
Amfana
6 years ago

Am a bit confused. How can one negotiate with the president who has no power to arrest anyone including his own cabinet ministers??? Hon Kalua , should we trust you now for these meetings you are attending with these thugs and yet you have been telling us so many stories about this person so called Peter Munthalika????? How can it be that you went there to negotiate with the President the arrest of JB not to be effected and yet you have been telling people that JB is innocent???? Hon Kalua, have you really reached such a low deal to… Read more »

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