MCP accuse Police IG of trying to clear DPP over ballot ‘arson’

The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has called for independent bodies to carry out special investigations over the fire which gutted Malawi Electoral Commission warehouse in Lilongwe in 2014 just a day before recounting of votes for the Lilongwe City South East constituency where the ruling DPP Bentry Namasasu was controversially declared winner  against the MCP’s candidate Ulemu Msungama.

MCP publicity secretary Jessie Kabwila, MCP director of elections Maxwell Thyolera, and Ulemu Msungama took turns  at a news conference in accusing the Inspector General of Police, Lexten Kachama for his comment.

Kachama in his year end message at Police headquarters in Lilongwe, ruled out arson in the fire
that gutted MEC warehouse. Kachama described the fire as mere accidental.

But reacting to the statement, Kabwila said the warehouse was deliberately touched by the regime agent  in order to disturb vote recounting and defeat justice.

Kabwila said the incident was a  product of  “fear and anger” which  Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had against vote recounting.

“We all know that from the word go DPP was against vote recounting that is why they rushed to court and got stay order against the same and after the court ruling for recounting, the same people derailed the by-elections by going to the Supreme Court of appeal now it is very strange for the IG to come in to clear DPP? By the events here it shows the IG has an agenda of trying to clear DPP from the mess,” said Kabwira.

In his remarks, Ulemu Msungama said he was also very surprised when he heard from the IG comment that the fire and yet he well knew events which led to the fire.

Msungama said the IG was not in Malawi and he followed all the events.

He said the IG comment will jeopardise the outcome of the report since some of the people investigating and preparing the report are his officers who cannot work against his expectations.

During the inferno, several gas cylinders,  lamps which Malawi borrowed from Zimbabwe and a total of 1,500 ballot boxes were destroyed.