Police arrest Chakwera’s bodyguard, gardener

Police in Lilongwe yesterday arrested Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera’s bodyguard and the party’s gardener on allegations that they were involved in the assault of two people who wanted to serve court documents on the party leadership.

Two police vehicles carrying about 20 police officers descended on the party headquarters at City Centre in Lilongwe where they forced their way into the building to search in various offices.

The party’s deputy secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka told The Nation that the police arrived without warning or search warrant and forcibly entered the party headquarters without notifying the leadership of their intention.

He said the police picked Chakwera’s bodyguard Joseph Undi and the gardener, Harrison Nsalupa, who was sweeping outside the headquarters building.

“The police acted so unprofessionally as if MCP had anything to hide. If they wanted to arrest anyone or search our premises, they should not have come as if the party was harbouring dangerous criminals,” said Mkaka.

By 4pm yesterday, the two were yet to be charged and Lilongwe Police Station spokesperson Kingsley Dandaula said his bosses had not yet informed him about the arrests.

But after visiting Lingadzi Police Station, Mkaka said police were claiming that Chakwera’s bodyguard had been identified as the man who allegedly assaulted a G4S motorbike courier as he was delivering documents at the party offices while Nsalupa had been identified in the assault of a process server for law firm Gondwe and Attorneys, who wanted to serve court documents on Chakwera.

However, he said police made a mistake because Undi had just started work yesterday while Nsalupa was away in his village on the day of the incident, September 8, 2016 and only reported for work on September 12.

The two are expected to appear in court today.