MALAWI police have arrested Member of Parliament Kamlepo Kalua and activist Bon Kalindo for their controversial social media posts regarding the June 10 plane crash that resulted in the death of Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight other officials.
In a statement dated Friday, national police spokesperson Peter Kalaya confirmed the arrests, citing the inflammatory nature of the posts. ‘The individuals made inflammatory social media posts which are full of innuendos and insinuations,’ Kalaya stated.
The voice notes allegedly posted by Kalua and Kalindo contain elements defined as serious criminal offences under the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act. Kalaya emphasised that these posts could potentially incite violence and disorder.
Kalua and Kalindo’s posts reportedly questioned and contradicted the official explanation of the plane crash. According to Colleen Zamba, the Secretary to the President and Cabinet, the Dornier 228 military aircraft from the Malawi Defence Force crashed near Mzuzu City in northern Malawi due to poor weather conditions.
In response to the tragedy, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera has enlisted foreign experts to assist the Malawi Defence Force and the Malawi Police Service in investigating the crash’s true cause. Minister of Information and Digitalisation Moses Kunkuyu announced that experts from Germany are expected to arrive in the country on Saturday to aid in the investigation.
This incident underscores the heightened tensions and scrutiny surrounding the tragic plane crash and the government’s commitment to uncovering the truth while maintaining public order.
