Mphwiyo suspect on Interpol wanted list
Malawi Police have intensified the search for Pika Manondo, one of the suspects in the shooting of Treasury budget director Paul Mphwiyo, by involving the International Police (Interpol) which has put him on the list of wanted persons.
Malawi Police has so far arrested three people connected to the shooting. The three are McDonald Kumwembe, Robert Kadzuwa and Dauka Manondo.
In an interview on Saturday, National Police spokesperson Rhoda Manjolo confirmed that Manondo’s appearance on the Interpol wanted list was in connection with the Mphwiyo case.
“We approached the Interpol to assist us in tracking him down,” said Manjolo, who could not say whether police suspect that Manondo is outside the country.
The Interpol wanted list, carried on its website, listed the suspect as Pika Pascal Manondo as being “wanted by the judicial authorities of Malawi for prosecution/to serve a sentence.”
The notice says the 38-year-old Manondo is being wanted on charges of attempted murder.
Other particulars on the notice include his picture, year and date of birth which is July 4 1975, place of birth which is Lilongwe.
“If you have any information please contact your national or local police,” reads the notice issued by the Interpol General Secretariat.
Meanwhile, as Mphwiyo recovers in South Africa’s Milpark Clinic, pressure is mounting on the Joyce Banda administration to roll some heads following a flurry of public finance looting allegations that emerged after the assassination attempt.
National coordinator of the Catholic Commission for Justice Peace (CCJP) Chris Chisoni said the President should show commitment to resolving the issue by firing top politicians and senior government officers mentioned in the abuse of public resources.
“This, of course, might be tricky in the sense that some of them are very close to her and are her advisors. Ideally, she should have relieved them, but also for those mentioned to resign honourably to pave way for investigations.
“The Anti-Corruption Bureau [ACB] is reacting to an issue that has happened instead of being pro-active. There are civil servants who have become rich within a short period of time, but have never been taken to task,” said Chisoni.
Mphwiyo’s shooting at his house in Area 43 in Lilongwe opened a can of worms, especially after the President told the nation that she knew his assailants and that he was a victim of his fight against corruption in the civil service.
But some reports have indicated that the shooting was a result of a deal gone sour and linked the incident to senior government officials, including ministers.
ACB has since intensified investigations on the entire public service.
Constitutional law expert Edge Kanyongolo recommended international assistance in getting to the bottom of the Mphwiyo case as it may implicate top government officials.
“This is not an ordinary murder attempt case. The President made a statement and a commission of inquiry might not add much value looking at how previous commissions have ended. They simply excite the public and fizzle out.
“Britain and America can offer us assistance from Scotland Yard and Federal Bureau of Investigations [FBI], particularly when the matter borders around governance and accountability,” said Kanyongolo.
On Friday, eight donor representatives released a joint statement urging quick action on the several allegations that came flying into the public domain after the Mphwiyo gunning.
They also said should the Malawi authorities require international assistance to their investigations into this and other cases, they would be happy to help.
