Police release detained private plane

Malawi Police Service has released a private jet which it detained on Friday over alleged suspicious activities of its crew members and passengers.

Police said in a statement on Sunday they detained the eight-seater plane, which landed at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) on May 17 2019 and flew to Mzuzu and then Likoma Island. It flew back from Likoma to Mzuzu  the same day and proceeded to Lilongwe.

It turned out this was the plane that UTM Party presidential candidate and the country’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima chartered to take him to Likoma Island on Friday for a campaign rally.

But police are tight-lipped on the findings of their investigations into the activities which they suspected the crew and passengers were engaged in.

Deputy National Police spokesperson Thomex Nyaude said in an interview yesterday the security agency had released the plane, but he could not give further details, only saying the police are still investigating.

National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera on Sunday said the plane, number ZS-SDS owned by Fair Aviation, a South African aviation firm, was detained due to suspicious activities of its crew members and passengers.

During his final campaign rally in Blantyre, President Peter Mutharika claimed he was aware of a suspicious plane which was in the country and that he knew what it was carrying.

“Let me warn you, stop this childish behaviour. Let people vote freely without rigging,” he said.