Malawi: Electoral body dissolved over fraud
Mtheto Lungu, AfricaNews reporter in Lilongwe, Malawi
Malawi president Bingu wa Mutharika has ordered that the electoral commission be suspended amid talks of grave fraud. Police moved in to seal MEC headquarters in the commercial city of Blantyre after a brief statement from Chief Secretary to the Malawi Government Bright Msaka.
Vehicles belonging to the commissioners have been seized. Staff of the commission were ordered to lie on the floor before body searches were conducted on them.
The suspension follows an audit report detailing some US$ 9 million meant for local government elections scheduled for April next year and cannot be accounted for.
"This is a grave matter," said Msaka.
"His Excellency the President has therefore suspended the Commission in order to allow investigations to be carried out without interference."
The audit lacks supporting documents for what the money was used for.
Early Friday the president himself met the seven-member Commission, headed by Supreme Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Anastasia Nsosa, to inform them of his decision.
"It just happened in a flash. Armed police invaded the premises and ordered everyone not to move," said an eye witness.
"Officials who resisted the body search were slapped from the uncompromising officers." Computer flash disks and laptops were also confiscated.
"After the search everyone was ordered not to take with them anything except handbags and mobile phones," said another eye-witness.
"Some even left their mobile phones and shoes in their office as everyone was too scared to hang around. Police told officers not to even shut down their desk-top computers. It was drama."
Some staff members at the Commission accused police of high handedness.
"They acted very unprofessionally," complained one.
"We understand they received orders to seal our offices but they acted as if they have already found us guilty."
Another staffer said the police took advantage of the search by stealing money.
"An officer snatched my purse, saying she was looking for a flash [disc] but she ended up pinching my money," complained the lady staffer.
But police spokesman Dave Chingwalu defended his colleagues saying they acted professionally.
"People would say lots of things just to tarnish the image of the police when they are under investigation," he said.
Malawians are scheduled to hold the much-awaited local government elections on April 20 next year. Malawi last held local polls in the year 2000 whose councillors left office in 2005.
