Former Justice Minister Ralph Kasambara arrested

Former Malawi Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Ralph Kasambara has been arrested this morning.

The arrest follows police search at his house in Lilongwe last Friday.

Malawi Service Police deputy spokesperson Kelvin Maigwa confirmed the arrest of Kasambara in connection with the shooting of former budget director Paul Mphwiyo.

Speaking to Nation Online this morning Maigwa said police have picked both Kasambara and another suspect Pika Manondo.

He said the two were arrested last night and are in police custody.

“Kasambara is being kept at Kanengo Prison and is suspected to have taken a part in the shooting of Mphwiyo,” Maigwa said.

” We are suspecting he master minded the whole thing, while Manondo is at Lilongwe Police and has been picked as a suspicion that he took part in the actual shooting .They both have not been charged, neither have they been questioned,” he added.

When police searched Kasambara’s house last week, Maigwa said the team from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) were looking for a vehicle that was used during the shooting of the budget director, but they did not find the vehicle.

Said Maigwa: “We were following up on reports that the car used in the attempted murder of Mr Mphwiyo was at Kasambara’s house, hence the search. Investigations will continue and we cannot disclose what type of vehicle we are looking for.

“We are also yet to check ownership of the vehicle in question after we verify with the Road Traffic Directorate (RTD). We also will not disclose our next search.”

On that day Kasambara was not at home but that the team found his wife and children.

When we contacted Kasambara last week he differed with Maigwa on what the police were looking for. He said police were looking for a number plate and not an actual vehicle.

“The search warrant specified on a number plate suspected to have been used by one Pika Manondo. They were not looking for a car. Even results on the warrant show no number plate found, according to my wife who saw it. Call her for the warrant details,” he said.

Asked where he was at the time of the search, Kasambara simply said: “They know exactly where I am. I have been communicating with them on the phone.”

The warrant, issued on October 31st 2013 by the Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe directed police officers to search for a Mercedes Benz motor vehicle and motor vehicle number plates.

Reads the warrant: “Being articles by or in respect of which the offence of attempted murder contrary to Section 223 of the Penal Code has been committed are according to the reasonable suspicion in within the premises of Mr. Raphael Kasambara, SC, house number 10/456 in Area 10 in the city of Lilongwe.

Mphwiyo was shot outside his house in Area 43 on the night of September 13th 2013. Manondo is one of the suspects wanted in connection with the shooting but is at large. He is currently on the International Police (Interpol) list of wanted persons.

Three other suspects McDonald Kumwembwe, Robert Kadzuwa and Dauka Manondo were already arrested.

Mphwiyo’s shooting opened a can of worms on massive looting of public funds at Capital Hill.

He is currently in South Africa where he went for treatment of the gunshot wounds. Four bullets were removed from his body.

Kasambara is one of the senior ministers that President Joyce Banda sacked after she dissolved the Cabinet last month.