Former Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Deputy Commander of Operations Lieutenant General John Msonthi Jr (Retired) yesterday told the parliamentary ad hoc committee investigating the Chikangawa plane crash that he first learnt of the missing military aircraft through social media.
He said that on June 10 2024, after learning the aircraft carrying vice-president Saulos Klaus Chilima had gone missing, he called Moses Nthakomwa, a close friend of Chilima, to express his condolences.
Msonthi said he began the conversation believing Chilima and his wife Mary, who had initially been reported to be among the passengers, had died.
Andrew Viano
He said his instinct suggested the aircraft had crashed because of poor weather, the crew’s prolonged silence and the aircraft’s failure to reach its destination.
However, Msonthi stressed that he had no evidence the aircraft had crashed and that his assessment was based solely on instinct.
His testimony appeared to contradict earlier evidence by Nthakomwa, who told the committee that Msonthi called him at about 8.19pm on June 10 and allegedly described details of the crash.
Msonthi denied having any prior knowledge of the aircraft’s fate, insisting he had received no official communication confirming the crash or the location of the wreckage.
Committee chairperson Walter Nyamilandu-Manda said Msonthi was summoned after earlier testimony suggested he knew the aircraft had been found on June 10, although the public was officially informed the following day.
He said the committee wanted to reconcile conflicting accounts and establish an accurate sequence of events.
Ngwira: NIS had no role in travel arrangements
Earlier, former National Intelligence Service (NIS) director general Dokani Ngwira testified on security and intelligence matters before and after the crash.
Ngwira told the committee that the NIS had no role in organising Chilima’s trip to Nkhata Bay but was informed thta the vice-president was travelling there to attend the funeral of the late Ralph Kasambara.
He said that around 11am on June 10, he received a report that the military aircraft carrying Chilima and eight others had gone missing.
Ngwira said he immediately informed then Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba, who directed that an emergency meeting be convened to brief then President Lazarus Chakwera.
He said search and rescue efforts began as soon as authorities confirmed the aircraft had failed to return.
Ngwira said he also contacted intelligence agencies in the United States, France and Israel for assistance in locating the aircraft.
However, he said none of the agencies managed to trace it, with one official asking whether the aircraft’s transponder had been activated.
Asked about relations between Chilima and Chakwera, Ngwira described them as cordial and said the late vice-president was never viewed as a threat to the government.
He, however, expressed concern over conspiracy theories that emerged after the wreckage was discovered on June 11.
Ngwira said the NIS received a report alleging that a senior Aford leader had claimed that the Malawi Congress Party had previously wanted to kill his father and had now killed Chilima.
He declined to identify the politician, citing security concerns and advising the committee to seek further details from the current NIS leadership.
Nyamilandu-Manda described Ngwira’s testimony as significant, saying it had provided important information to the inquiry. He also commended the former intelligence chief for his openness and willingness to assist the committee.
