Malawi Police probe arson suspects

Police are questioning some suspects on allegations they took part in torching houses of activists during the late president Bingu wa Mutharika’s administration.

National police spokesperson Davie Chingwalu, while declining to disclose particulars of the suspects, said the respondents were also arrested on other offences.

Chingwalu said a court convicted a guard who was arrested following the burning down of Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI) offices in Blantyre at the peak of civil society’s discontent against Mutharika’s regime.

Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) also had its vehicles torched while the house and properties of activist the Reverend MacDonald Sembereka in Balaka and politician Salim Bagus in Lilongwe were also destroyed.

Said Chingwalu: “We have suspects already in custody who were arrested on other offences and we are questioning them because there is some sort of connection with these fires.”

Bagus said he is glad police have not abandoned the matter and that his expectation is to get compensation from whosoever was behind the fire.

Hajat said following the change in leadership of the country, the expectations from the victims of arson are that justice will soon be done to rectify all the atrocities that took place during the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regime.