Malawi govt launches probe on missing presidential palace property 

Malawi government has  said it has launched an investigations into the missing state property from the presidential palace .

Government spokesperson, Kondwani Nankhumwa,  who is also Minister of Information, Tourism and Culture in s said some property, including chairs with the presidential emblem, plates and medical equipment are missing at the Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.

“A probe to find out who took the State House property has been opened,” said Nankhumwa.

The property, according to Nankhumwa, has been discovered missing when they were searching  for  former president Joyce Banda’s personal effects.

Malawi’s flagship daily newspaper, The Nation reported that the government had allegedly combed all state residences in the country and found no personal properties belonging to Banda.

Banda through her sister Cecilia Kumpukwe wrote the Office of the President and Cabinet asking for access to her belongings she had forgotten when leaving the State House after her loss in the May 20 polls.

She claimed that she could not have collected all her personal property because she was forced to leave the presidential palace in a hurry.

However, Nankhumwa argued that they did not see any need to allow Banda or her officials permission to access the State House residences because property as described in the request had not been found.

“For refusing to grant them permission to access the State House, we do not want to be seen as if we are trying to cling to personal property of anybody.

“But surely, just what would be the meaning of getting people into State residences to be searching for things as if it were a wild goose chase? And where on earth has such a thing ever happened?” queried Nankhumwa as quoted by the daily.