Police probe election fraud
Police have launched inves t igat ions into irregularities in the May 21 2019 Presidential Election that was nullified in February 2020 by the Constitutional Court.
National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera confirmed the investigation in an interview yesterday, but declined to give further details.
Asked why it has taken them long to launch the probe, the police spokesperson said they had to go through what he called a bulky court ruling before starting investigations.
Said Kadadzera: “It was a bulky ruling and our officers took time to go through it. So, I can confirm that indeed we are investigating the election-related cases. This is all I can say at the moment.”
But a source who spoke on condition of anonymity said, among the issues that the police is looking at is the supply of tippex, a correctional fluid which was used to alter figures on result sheets in a number of polling centres.
On tippex, the Constitutional Court ruling said: “The tippexing and alterations were unjustifiable and an irregularity given that the procedure of the law is very clear in terms of how the discrepancies on Form 66C are to be dealt with.”
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), which led citizens demonstrations against the May 2019 Presidential Election results, has welcomed the police investigation, saying there cannot be electoral justice if those that mismanaged the elections are not held to account.
HRDC chairperson Gift
Trapence said in an interview yesterday that Malawians were robbed of their democracy and huge sums of money, which could have been used for development, were wasted after elections were nullified.
He said: “So, it is only proper to have people account for this fraud. Our expectation is that the police will move with speed and bring this issue to its logistical conclusion.”
Malawi held a Fresh Presidential Election on June 23 2020 after the High Court sitting as the Constitutional Court nullified the May 21 2019 Presidential Election in February due to massive irregularities
