The high court in Malawi granted bail today to eight suspects accused of plotting to overthrow the minority government of President Bingu wa Mutharika.
Judge Elton Singini ruled the eight, who have all been charged with treason and conspiracy to murder, be freed from custody because he could not "trust" documents tendered in court by prosecutors.
"The documents are not valid. They need to be authenticated," Singini told a packed courtroom in the capital Lilongwe.
The judge gave state prosecutors nine months to "organise its evidence" if it wanted to proceed with a trial before ordering the suspects to post a bail bond of 1,000 dollars each and report to police at regular intervals.
Prosecutors, led by director of public prosecutions Wezi Kayira last week, tendered evidence to the court which argued that the eight should not be released from detention for fear they would tamper with evidence.
Ian Malera, who led a team of defence lawyers argued in court that some of the documents tendered by the prosecution were "handwritten, faint and had no signatures and could not be ascertained or authenticated by any method".
Former army chief of staff Joseph Chimbayo and ex-police commander Joseph Aironi were among a group of eight people arrested last week after Mutharika voiced fears of a plot to topple him.
They were picked up in initial raids that also netted Kennedy Makwangwala, secretary-general of the former ruling United Democratic Front (UDF), and John Chikakwiya, the former mayor of the largest city Blantyre.
Three serving army brigadiers and another former police commissioner Mathews Masoapyola were picked up later after raids at properties in Blantyre.
News of the arrests comes only a day after a speech by Mutharika who said he had received intelligence that his predecessor Bakili Muluzi, his chief opponent in elections next year, was "planning to remove me through Section 65".
The president was referring to a controversial constitutional clause which has sparked heated debate in the southern African nation as it allows the speaker of parliament to sack lawmakers who have crossed the floor.
Mutharika’s minority government poached most of its MPs from the opposition and his rivals are now trying to pressure the speaker to sack the lawmakers and thus force the president out of office.
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Malawi investigating Malawian attacked in South Africa
Malawi high commission in South Africa is investigating the extent of attacks on Malawians living in South Africa, the Malawian Foreign Ministry has said.
Caught in the attacks are Zimbabweans, Nigerians, Mozambicans, Malawians and other foreigners in that country.
The Daily Times Monday quoted principal secretary for foreign affairs Ben Mbewe as saying here that the Malawi government was aware of the violence perpetrated against the foreigners.
"We have heard. We are alert but the actual details, we do not know. There is something that is being done and we're trying to trace the Malawians affected by this," Mbewe said .
A Malawian living in Eastern Cape said some Malawians's properties, including homes, were destroyed by anger mobs of locals.
He said the Malawi government does not have the official figure of Malawians who live in South Africa because most of them chose to hide themselves and some live in the country illegally.
Caught in the attacks are Zimbabweans, Nigerians, Mozambicans, Malawians and other foreigners in that country.
The Daily Times Monday quoted principal secretary for foreign affairs Ben Mbewe as saying here that the Malawi government was aware of the violence perpetrated against the foreigners.
"We have heard. We are alert but the actual details, we do not know. There is something that is being done and we're trying to trace the Malawians affected by this," Mbewe said .
A Malawian living in Eastern Cape said some Malawians's properties, including homes, were destroyed by anger mobs of locals.
He said the Malawi government does not have the official figure of Malawians who live in South Africa because most of them chose to hide themselves and some live in the country illegally.
Malawi Team to Arrive On Thursday
A contingent of 20 players and five officials of Malawi national soccer team are expected to arrive on Thursday in readiness for a friendly match against Taifa Stars to be played at the New National Stadium on Sunday.
Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) secretary general Fredrick Mwakalebela said his body is footing all the expenditure of the entourage.
However, Mwakalebela was not sure whether the new stadium would be available for use on Sunday but insisted that communications are underway to convince the stadium owners.
The final confirmation is yet to be secured on the use of the New National Stadium that suffered massive vandalism when the last time it was used in a match between Stars and Mozambique last year.
"We hope the stadium would be released for the match to be played there, said Mwakalebela", said Mwakalebela.
Should the stadium be released, the TFF boss said a tight security would be deployed to safeguard the stadium from unnecessary vandalism as well as spectator's safety.
Mwakalebela said entrance fees would be announced few days before the match day as Stars are expecting to resume training today.
Stars are playing the trial match to gauge their prowess ahead of the African Nations and World Cup 2010 qualifiers.
Stars kick start the campaign against Mauritius on May 31 at the same venue.
Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) secretary general Fredrick Mwakalebela said his body is footing all the expenditure of the entourage.
However, Mwakalebela was not sure whether the new stadium would be available for use on Sunday but insisted that communications are underway to convince the stadium owners.
The final confirmation is yet to be secured on the use of the New National Stadium that suffered massive vandalism when the last time it was used in a match between Stars and Mozambique last year.
"We hope the stadium would be released for the match to be played there, said Mwakalebela", said Mwakalebela.
Should the stadium be released, the TFF boss said a tight security would be deployed to safeguard the stadium from unnecessary vandalism as well as spectator's safety.
Mwakalebela said entrance fees would be announced few days before the match day as Stars are expecting to resume training today.
Stars are playing the trial match to gauge their prowess ahead of the African Nations and World Cup 2010 qualifiers.
Stars kick start the campaign against Mauritius on May 31 at the same venue.
Opposition protests as Mutharika opens budget sessio
Embattled Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika, facing a serious test in the opposition-dominated Parliament, on Monday opened the 2008 / 09 budget session of Parliament with only five opposition MPs present.
The president, who did not refer to the opposition boycott, said his government was delivering on the economic front despite the opposition "pulling the other way".
"We promised to check corruption, we have done that; we promise to improve the e conomy, we have done that," said the 73-year-old economist-turned-politician ami d hand-clapping from his back-benchers.
Mutharika said for the first time in Malawi inflation was in single-digit while bank interest rates had been coming down.
"In the past we used to beg for food but last year we had a surplus of over 500, 000 metric tonnes of maize which will be repeated this year," he said.
On the boycott, the main opposition Malawi Congress Party parliamentary spokesma n Ishael Chafukira, said the opposition staged the boycott as a sign of protest.
"First, Bingu called us 'animals' when he said 'what kind of animals did you sen d to Parliament?'" he said. "We didn't want to dignify the president's remarks."
Mutharika made the remark at the weekend during a public engagement in describin g the opposition for frustrating government business in Parliament.
Chafukira also said another reason the opposition boycotted Mutharika's speech w as because the president was "a hypocrite calling for dialogue and yet he castigates us".
The former ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) leader of Parliament George Mtaf u said his MPs could not go to Parliament to be insulted.
"Bingu castigates us all the time," he said.
Mtafu also said his party was protesting government's detention of opposition me mbers for what he termed as "trumped up treason charges".
Senior UDF leaders and senior retired and serving police and army officers were arrested last week for allegedly plotting to topple the Mutharika administration .
There has been bad blood between the Mutharika administration and the opposition since the president dumped the UDF party on whose ticket he contested the 2004 e lections that ushered him into office.
He founded his own party nine months after the election when he spectacularly fe ll out with his predecessor, former president Bakili Muluzi, who ironically anoi n ted him as successor.
Muluzi has since vowed to remove Mutharika from power "for being ungrateful".
The former president has since been endorsed by the UDF, of which he is national chairman, as the party's presidential candidate in the scheduled 19 May, 2009 elections despite constitutional doubts of his eligibility to stand again for offi c e after serving two consecutive five-year terms.
The president, who did not refer to the opposition boycott, said his government was delivering on the economic front despite the opposition "pulling the other way".
"We promised to check corruption, we have done that; we promise to improve the e conomy, we have done that," said the 73-year-old economist-turned-politician ami d hand-clapping from his back-benchers.
Mutharika said for the first time in Malawi inflation was in single-digit while bank interest rates had been coming down.
"In the past we used to beg for food but last year we had a surplus of over 500, 000 metric tonnes of maize which will be repeated this year," he said.
On the boycott, the main opposition Malawi Congress Party parliamentary spokesma n Ishael Chafukira, said the opposition staged the boycott as a sign of protest.
"First, Bingu called us 'animals' when he said 'what kind of animals did you sen d to Parliament?'" he said. "We didn't want to dignify the president's remarks."
Mutharika made the remark at the weekend during a public engagement in describin g the opposition for frustrating government business in Parliament.
Chafukira also said another reason the opposition boycotted Mutharika's speech w as because the president was "a hypocrite calling for dialogue and yet he castigates us".
The former ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) leader of Parliament George Mtaf u said his MPs could not go to Parliament to be insulted.
"Bingu castigates us all the time," he said.
Mtafu also said his party was protesting government's detention of opposition me mbers for what he termed as "trumped up treason charges".
Senior UDF leaders and senior retired and serving police and army officers were arrested last week for allegedly plotting to topple the Mutharika administration .
There has been bad blood between the Mutharika administration and the opposition since the president dumped the UDF party on whose ticket he contested the 2004 e lections that ushered him into office.
He founded his own party nine months after the election when he spectacularly fe ll out with his predecessor, former president Bakili Muluzi, who ironically anoi n ted him as successor.
Muluzi has since vowed to remove Mutharika from power "for being ungrateful".
The former president has since been endorsed by the UDF, of which he is national chairman, as the party's presidential candidate in the scheduled 19 May, 2009 elections despite constitutional doubts of his eligibility to stand again for offi c e after serving two consecutive five-year terms.
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