Mtambo suspicious, tells police to take HRDC petrol bomb suspect to court

Leading human rights activist Timothy Mtambo says he is suspicious that the police are not updating him on a petrol bomb suspect who was apprehended last week and handed over to the law enforcers in Lilongwe.

Mtambo said he expected the police to call him for a caution statement before taking the suspect to court.

The suspect was found with an identity card of the National Intelligence Bureau bearing the name C.C Kafumbwa.

“We will follow up with the police to find out where the issue is now. We would like to know if the suspect was taken to court, if he was given police bail and conditions for such bail or if he was just released unconditionally,” said Mtambo.

Mtambo said the suspect was apprehended after he was noticed trailing the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson.

He said he was the person who a few weeks ago wanted to petrol bomb a HRDC vehicle at Cross Roads Hotel where the attorney general and top security officers were meeting the rights activists.

Officials from the National Intelligence Bureau have not disowned Kafumbwa as their own, heightening fears the state might be funding terrorism on rights activism in a bid to eliminate them.