The Inspector General (IG) of Police Lexten Kachama has said he cannot apologise for arresting Members of Parliament (MPs) while Parliament was in session.
Appearing yesterday before members of the Privileges Committee of Parliament, which grilled him over the matter, the IG said the police cannot apologise for their actions because the offence the two MPs committed is serious in nature.
“I cannot apologise for arresting them because the offence they committed, which is a treason case, has no exception. There is no reason for us to apologise because we just acted accordingly, we acted how we should because the offence was serious in nature. In any other case, we wait for the session to be over but with treason, we arrest immediately,” he said.
The police, in February 2016, arrested Malawi Congress Party (MCP) legislators Jessie Kabwila and Peter Chankwantha and member Ulemu Msungama on allegations that they were exchanging WhatsApp messages meant to demean the leadership of President Peter Mutharika.
During the meeting, Kachama further said the criminal case of treason for the MPs has not been dismissed and that the police do not in any way regret arresting the parliamentarians.
“The case of treason has not been dismissed and we are still investigating that one. The case that was taken before court in Blantyre was a civil case because I understand that these people went to court to seek assistance that they have been reporting to police almost every month, so they wanted a relief and the court considered them only on that one,” he said.
The trio had applied to the High Court to review the IG’s decision to arrest them as it was unconstitutional, unsustainable and contrary to the law.
On Wednesday, the state said it raised no objections to the three stopping reporting for bail at the National Police headquarters in Lilongwe.
Justice Healy Potani ordered the discontinuation of the bail conditions but granted the state’s wish that should new evidence emerge warranting prosecution, it may do so.
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