Mtambo hiding as Police quiz HRDC over plot to make Malawi ungovernable State of lawlessness

Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson Timothy Mtambo on Sunday went to hiding escaping a police arrest  barely few hours after declaring on Facebook that he is not scared as members of his grouping were nabbed by the law enforcers in Lilongwe.

Mtambo posted his comment on Facebook just after President Peter Mutharika warned him and his allies against abuse of law.

Police arrested HRDC members Gift Trapence and MacDonald Sembereka at a bar in Lilongwe.

The duo tipped Mtambo, who switched off his phones and is at large.

Police has a warrant of arrest for the three for inciting violence and for plotting illegal shut down of State Houses. State residences are high security areas.

Malawi Police Service deputy national spokesperson Thomeck Nyaude said he had not been furnished with details on the arrest.

HRDC spokesperson Luke Tembo has confirmed that Sembereka and Trapence were under arrest and that the law enforcement agency is still looking for Mtambo.

Mtambo, Trapence and Sembereka face three charges, according to police sources.

They have been working together with  Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera and  UTM Party president Saulos Chilima in violent demonstrations since May last year.

Last year, as  he was making his State of the Nation Address (Sona) in the National Assembly in Lilongwe on June 21, President Peter Mutharika  alleged that some politicians were trying to recruit mercenary militias from Al-Shabaab and the Congo war zone to create anarchy in the country.

On Sunday, Mutharika also commented on an audio leak in which Chilima is heard speaking to his UTM executive officials and wishing Mutharika’s death so that he takes over the presidency.

He regretted the statement by Chilima.

“Lets not wish each other bad things, I wish him well,” said Mutharika.

HRDC and Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi) were threatening to shut down State residences to force Mutharika to assent to Electoral Bills recently passed in Parliament.

Cdedi interim executive director Silvester Namiwa, a former State House official who resigned last year ahead of May 21 polls, said they were  concerned with the “snail’s pace”  in  handling of serious matters of national interest.

Procedurally, the President is supposed to assent to a Bill within 21 days from the date of its passage in Parliament. This means Mutharika is remaining with less than 14 days to assent to the Electoral Bills if MEC is to conduct fresh presidential elections based on the new law.

The Constitution Court ordered that fresh presidential election should be conducted within 150 days from February 3.