Police have said no person has been arrested in connection with alleged attack on Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) Chairperson Timothy Mtambo.
Mtambo is said to have been attacked by unknown thugs who reportedly fired bullets at his vehicle in Lilongwe Friday night.
National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera, however, said investigations to establish the truth in relation to the alleged attack on Mtambo, are at an advanced stage.
“The police have instituted investigations to arrest the assailants and firearms experts from National Police Headquarters are on the ground to identify the type of firearm used in the commission of the offence,” he said.
Kadadzera then challenged Mtambo to fully cooperate with the police and provide necessary information for speedy conclusion of the matter.
But HRDC Vice Chairperson Gift Trapence said the police should not only claim to be investigating the matter but must handle the issue with seriousness.
“It is not just saying investigations are at an advanced stage. We have been reporting many cases to the police but all they say is that they are investigating them. You will remember the beating of Billy Mayaya in the presence of police, but nobody has been arrested to date,” he said.
Meanwhile, police have said they have arrested 249 suspects for violence during the post-election protests.
A statement signed by Kadadzera dated October 11 says 22 suspects have been convicted and sentenced.
“One suspect was sentenced to five years Imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) for acts intended to cause grievous harm in Lilongwe, three suspects sentenced to eight years IHL for robbery in Lilongwe, three suspects sentenced to three years imprisonment for intentionally endangering safety of persons travelling by road in Dowa, one suspect sentenced to four years imprisonment for breaking into a building and committing an offence therein in Salima,” reads the statement in part.
Kadadzera further says 227 suspects are answering different charges in court out of which 54 are on remand and 173 are out on bail.
HRDC, led by Mtambo, has been organising post-May 21 election protests demanding the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission’s Chairperson (Mec), Jane Ansah’s resignation for what they term “mismanagement of the electoral process”.
Mec declared Democratic Progressive Party’s Peter Mutharika winner of the elections with Malawi Congress Party’s Lazarus Chakwera coming second while UTM’s Saulos Chilima came third.
MCP and UTM are challenging election results at the Constitutional Court in Lilongwe.
