Nomads complain to Fam over Jaffalie Chande’s ‘harrasment’
Be Forward Wanderers General Secretary, Mike Butao, has asked Football Association of Malawi (Fam) to intervene on the alleged harassment of midfielder Jaffalie Chande by Big Bullets fans and police.
“Bullets supporters are visiting Jafali’s house every morning and night issuing threats. And the police have summoned Jafali Chande to Blantyre Police three times without laying any specific charge. On Saturday, he was summoned once and today, Monday he has been summoned twice. Why?” Butao wrote to Fam General Secretary, Suzgo Nyirenda, on Monday.
“Since when did changing teams become a crime? Why can’t they charge him formally if he has committed a crime? Who made the complaint to police because as far as we know the matter is being handled by Fam and we are yet to hear the verdict? On whose instructions are police summoning the player? Should Bullets be allowed to be bigger than the laws governing our game?”
Bullets Supporters Committee Chairperson, Stone Mwamadi, Monday dismissed Wanderers’ allegations, saying “they just want to find a scapegoat and tarnish Bullets’ image. Bullets supporters accepted that Chande is a Wanderers player, all we want is that procedures must be followed.”
Meanwhile, Blantyre Police Public Relations Officer, Elizabeth Divala, Monday confirmed that Yohane Kachamba, 26, of Mwamadi village, T.A. Machinjiri, Blantyre and Joseph Kamtondo, 23, of Nyambi Village, T.A. Kadewere, Chiradzulu, were arrested and released on bail over Chande’s alleged forged contract.
Divala said they arrested the men, who work for an internet café at Chichiri Trade Fair Grounds, after Mwamadi reported to the police about a document he believed was forged.
“We released them on bail because it is their constitutional right. The matter is on-going as we have called for a meeting with all the concerned parties,” explained Divala, adding that he risked being locked up if it is established that he was party to the forging of the contract.
Chande confirmed being summoned by the police, saying: “I stand for the truth and I gave them my side of the story. I have nothing to fear.”
Former Bullets General Secretary, Harold Fote, has since accused the team’s Head of Finance and Fundraising Committee and police officer, Isaac Norman, of abusing power over the club’s matters. However, Norman has denied the accusations.
Chande is at the centre of a contract wrangle after switching camps from Bullets to Wanderers as a free agent.
Bullets produced Chande’s contract indicating that it will expire in August 2017 while the player suggests that it run its course last February. Ironically, Fote’s signature appears on both contracts.
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