Malawi Police Service has kept a tight lid on the identity of eight people identified as Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) staff arrested in Lilongwe on Friday for alleged election fraud.
National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya in an interview yesterday said police cannot disclose the identities of the suspects for their safety.
However, he said the suspects, who were arrested on suspicion that they fraudulently amended electoral documents, will be formally charged when the police complete their investigations.
During a MEC briefing to stakeholders on the September 16 General Election at the National Tally Centre at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe on Sunday night, Police Inspector General Merlyne Yolamu said the suspects were released on police bail.
She said the police were still investigating the matter.
However, Yolamu did not state when the suspects will be taken to court and what their names were, saying: “The background of the matter is that there was an incident where someone attempted to commit suicide and, for such a case, the State is the complainant.
“So, as police, we were following up on that matter and in the course of investigating a case of attempted suicide, the suspect confessed having engaged in fraudulent activities in relation to elections and he also implicated others which led to the arrest of eight clerks.”
During a similar stakeholders update on Saturday night, the Police IG declined to disclose the names of the suspects.
Meanwhile, Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum chairperson Benedicto Kondowe said the way the police is handling the case raises serious concerns.
In an interview yesterday, he said there is lack of transparency despite that the allegations of electoral tampering strike at the heart of democracy.
Said Kondowe: “Keeping the identities of the suspects hidden and failing to provide a clear timeline for court proceedings—creates room for speculation, mistrust, and further erosion of public confidence in the electoral process.
“Such handling risks feeding into narratives of impunity at a time when the public expects swift and credible accountability.”
He emphasised that given the gravity of the allegations, the police must act with speed and transparency, adding that anything less risks undermining the credibility of both the justice system and the democratic process itself.
Political analyst George Chaima said elections are a national event; hence, police and other stakeholders need to promote transparency.
Police issued a statement on September 19 on the arrest of the eight people at Lilongwe Nkhoma Constituency Tally Centre where the suspects were working as data entry clerks during last Tuesday’s elections.
The arrest followed investigations police conducted on an attempted suicide case involving Lilongwe Nkhoma Constituency returning officer Clement Chikankha.
