National News

Atupele faces arrest

Reports say police are planning to arrest Machinga East MP Atupele Muluzi following the burning down of a police unit, a vehicle and a house by alleged UDF supporters during clashes with the law enforcers in Lilongwe’s Area 24 on Sunday.

 

Sources within the Malawi Police Service (MPS) disclosed that the police are expected to issue a warrant of arrest for Atupele this Tuesday morning.

But National Police spokesperson Davie Chingwalu, while confirming that some people would be arrested in connection with the fracas, said police are not targeting any individual, but “whoever emerges to have committed the crime.”

“As police, we are currently doing our investigation. Obviously, what happened in Area 24 is a criminal act whose culprits, if known, will have to be arrested,” said Chingwalu.

‘Why me?’

In an interview, Atupele said it would not make sense for the police to target him when the rally was organised by UDF as a political party.

“Why should they target me? This was a UDF rally and the UDF is a registered party in this country,” said Atupele, who said he has not yet been told on whether the police were looking for him.

He said it was “very” unfortunate that such an easily avoidable incident led to such damages.

“My initial reaction to the incident is to urge restraint from both the police and my supporters because, to me, the whole thing was easily avoidable if there was restraint from both sides,” he said.

The fracas also led to the fleeing of suspects who were remanded to the police unit.

‘We will hunt down the suspects’

“All the suspects have escaped, but I do not have the exact figures. We will hunt them down and send them to other police cells,” said Lilongwe Police spokesperson Kingsley Dandaula on Monday.

Witnesses said the fracas began when police fired tear gas at the podium where Atupele and other party officials were waiting to address supporters at Ngwenya Primary School ground.

During the clashes that ensued, one police officer was also injured whereas some people also looted shops, including Area 24 Chipiku Store.

Lilongwe district commissioner Paul Kalilombe said although UDF notified his office about the rally, he told some party’s officials, including secretary general Kennedy Makwangwala, to defer the Lilongwe rally to the following week because of the tension that was there.

Makwangwala was not immediately available, but party spokesperson Ken Ndanga said UDF was not convinced by the reasons given to cancel the meetings.

Related Articles

Back to top button