MULUZI’S ARREST

Kamuzu International Airport Lilongwe May 25, 2008: After the dramatic arrest right inside the Kamuzu International Aiport grounds at around 2.45 pm, the UDF Chairman was 30 minutes later whisked into a waiting Malawi Armed Forces Military Plane the 16 Seater Dornier which flew him straight to Blantyre.

Muluzi’s son Atupele confirmed that his father has been charged with treason.

However, government yesterday declined to immediately comment on the arrest which drew tension inside the city of Lilongwe with running battles between the police and UDF supporters who, angered, with the development closed roads especially those leading to KIA.

After the Air Malawi Boeing 737-300 air craft number 7Q-YKP touched down Muluzi’s security personnel got into the aircraft while two police officers and an arm officer waited outside and instantly arrested him.

Atupele, his father, lawyer Fahad Assani, Muluzi’s security personnel and the arresting officers spent almost 30 minutes on the airport grounds negotiating before Muluzi was taken to the Military plane parked right inside the airport just adjacent to the Air Malawi Boeing 737-300 air craft number 7Q-YKP from which Muluzi alighted.

Before Muluzi arrived police officers sealed off streets leading to the Airport with all vehicles carrying UDF supporters being denied access to the Airport. There was also heavy police presence in the airport where scores of armed police officers were placed in strategic positions.

Apart from senior UDF officials including NEC co-opted member Brown Mpinganjira, deputy Secretary General Hophmally Makande, Atupele as well as NRP President Gwanda Chakuamba, Ken Zikhale Ng’oma and Kamlepo Kalua nobody, including journalists was allowed inside the VIP building at the Airport.

Other senior UDF officials present at the airport were Kennedy Makwangwala, central region Governor John Banda, Lucius Banda and lawyers Ralph Kasambara and Fahadi Assani.

Despite the heavy police presence several UDF supporters still found their way into the airport.

At Kanengo, police mounted a temporary road block and had to use tear gas and shoot live bullets to disperse crowds who wanted to force their way through a temporary road block.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that two UDF supporters were shot and one died on the spot.

Muluzi had arranged to have a political rally soon after his arrival at Gona Ground in Area 50 within the city of Lilongwe and soon after the news of the arrest reached the venue of the rally the gathered crowd erupted into chaos stoning passing vehicles and blocked the main road from the venue of the rally to the road connecting to KIA.

Police had to deploy an armored vehicle to disperse the chanting crowds and clear the road which for closer to an hour was impassable as people used stones, trees and other objects to block off the road.

“They have arrested the former President apparently on treason charges. They don’t have a warrant, they refused him to leave the airport, they want to take him in a military aircraft to an undisclosed location,” said Atupele, who was the only top UDF politician and Muluzi’s closest ally allowed into the airport grounds, soon after the arrest.

Soon after the arrest Police also instantly moved in to disarm the former head of state’s government security personnel.

There was another drama after Muluzi’s body guards refused to hand in the arms to police officers led by Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Doreen Mwalwanda.

The ensuing confrontation between the two sides led to Police ordering the detention of Muluzi’s convoy of vehicles which were released almost 30 minutes later after the BCA House security personnel handed in a total of 4 pistols and several rounds of ammunitions.

One by one police also had to thoroughly search Muluzi’s vehicles and others belonging to UDF officials before leaving they were allowed to leave the airport.

Makande in an interview declined to comment on the arrest.

“At the moment we have no comment until we meet as a party then probably we will have a comment tomorrow,” he said.

Minister of Home Affairs Ernest Malenga in an interview later in the evening said he would not comment since he hasn’t been briefed on the arrest.

“I always wait to be briefed. Yes I have heard about the arrest but I can’t say anything, I don’t have any information,” said Malenga.

 THE DRAMA AROUND THE ARREST:

 

9.00 am: Police in camoufrage fatigue and heavily armed with tear gas cannisters and all types of gun deployed all over the city of Lilongwe riding in 997 Police vehicles. Heavily armed police officers are also deployed at the Airport.

 

12.00 noon: Police start searching all vehicles going to Kamuzu International Airport. All suspected UDF vehicles are barred to proceed to the Airport including those carrying UDF supporters. Several UDF supporters and officials are forced to walk about 3 kilometres from the KIA turn-off to the Airport. Along the Lilongwe City-KIA Road running battles are all over with police firing tear gas and live bullets.

 

Two (not confirmed) are reported dead.

 

1.55 pm: Heavily armed police officers move closer to the VIP building as a South African Airways plane touches down at KIA in anticipation that Muluzi was aboard the plane. A Military Donia Air Craft joins the SAA plane.

 

UDF supporters present in the Airport also moves closer. There is tension all over as both security personnel as well as the UDF officials present wait eagerly to see what happens next. With the presence of some senior regional police officers and also the Military Aircraft it was clear that this was the day Muluzi is going to be arrested. For what nobody knows. Some talk of corruption charges while others talk of treason.

 

One overzealous UDF supporter is overheard saying that Muluzi will go straight into the Army craft and instantly declare that he has taken over the country.

 

Then there was the longest wait of all time. Come 2.10 pm news started filtering in that Muluzi is not in the plane and would be arriving in the next Air Malawi Air Craft.

 

2.20 pm: The Air Malawi plane touches down. Security officers moves closer to the plane. Atupele and Fahadi Assani also moves closer to the plane.

 

For closer to 30 minutes the two parties locked themselves in discussions of which part of it centred on the facts that the arresting officers did not have a warrant of arrest for the UDF Chairman.

Nevertheless at 2.45 Muluzi is arrested and driven to the Donia where he starts his long journey to Blantyre as a detainee.

All Muluzi’s body guards present are instantly disarmed though amidst resistance. Muluzi’s convoy and vehicles for other UDF senior officials are detained for more than 30 minutes as the two camps of Malawi Police Service are battling it out over the arms. Long at last 4 pistons are recovered.

After Police in Blantyre searched his BCA Residence, where also his security guards are disarmed, Muluzi on Zodiac Radio said he could not be intimidated with the arrest which he said is based on flimsy evidence and anonymous letters.

He said the arrest is only intended to shut him up in his bid to return to power.

According to him he was surprised of his arrest.