UTM Party secretary general Patricia Kaliati, facing charges of conspiracy to commit a felony, will remain in custody till Monday.
One of her lawyers, Khwima Mchizi, said in an interview that police had not finalised some processes nor was her file ready by yesterday afternoon.
Mchizi said: “What I can confirm is that the police have already recorded the caution statement and evidence of arrest. She is likely going to be taken to court on Monday.”
Yesterday morning, police fired tear gas at opposition party supporters, including those from UTM, United Democratic Front, Democratic Progressive Party, and Alliance for Democracy, who gathered at Area 30 Police Station to show solidarity with Kaliati.
She had been transferred there from Lingadzi Police Station following her arrest on Thursday.
The supporters, clad in their party regalia, chanted songs and carried placards with messages of support and encouragement for Kaliati.
Addressing the crowd outside Area 30 Police Station, UTM Party director of economic affairs and presidential aspirant Newton Kambala, thanked the group for their solidarity and urged them to continue pushing for Kaliati’s release.
“Our lawyers are negotiating with the law-enforcers to expedite the process of taking Kaliati to court so she can be formally charged and apply for bail,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has raised concerns about the handling of Kaliati’s arrest.
According to MHRC director of political and civil rights, Peter Chisi, who visited Kaliati at Area 3 Police Station, the law-enforcers have not shown interest to bring her before the court, which, he said violates the 48-hour requirement.
UTM officials also held a press briefing in the afternoon, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of their SG.
Speaking at the press conference, UTM director of youth Penjani Kalua condemned the arrest, describing it as politically-motivated and an attempt to silence opposition voices.
Said Kalua: “We call upon the Malawi Police Service to respect the principles of a multiparty democracy, which guarantee the freedoms of expression, association, and political participation. Intimidation and arbitrary arrests have no place in a democratic society.”
He added that any attempt by the authorities to intimidate or silence the opposition will be met with continued resistance from all Malawians who love their freedoms.
During the briefing, publicity secretary Felix Njawala disclosed that the party held its scheduled national executive committee meeting in the morning, which party president Michael Usi, did not attend in preparation for the elective convention next month.
Njawala, however, refused to divulge details of the discussions and resolutions made, arguing that it was an internal matter.
He said: “We consulted our secretary general, who gave us the go-ahead to meet, and the meeting was chaired by our deputy secretary general. The president will be briefed by the deputy SG on the way forward.”
Later in the afternoon, Kaliati was transferred from Area 30 Police Station to Area 3 Police Station.
