Malawi police have defied political pressure and refused to arrest activist Bon Kalindo accused of insulting President Lazarus Chakwera.
Pressure has been mounting for police to arrest Kalindo after a warrant of arrest was issued, but at the weekend the police made it clear they were not going to do so.
“The Malawi Police Service (MPS), in exercise of its policing discretion and without regard to public pressure or pronouncements made by politicians in the past or present, has independently decided not to arrest Mr. Bon Kalindo for the offence of insulting the president,” said James Kadadzera, ACP, MPS public relations.
Kalindo is not new to controversy, in February 2019, police obtained a warrant for his arrest over the production of an audio clip that implicated then-president Peter Mutharika and his aide Dr. Hertherwick Ntaba in the illicit albino body parts trade.
This time around, Kalindo is accused of insulting President Chakwera on Friday during demonstrations he led in the Blantyre.
However, on Saturday the police said arresting Kalindo would go against the current regime’s policy that frowns on actions that limit freedoms guaranteed in the constitution.
“MPS will thus move the court for the cancellation of the warrant of arrest,” said Kadadzera, whose comments were backed by Homeland Security Minister Chimwendo Banda.
The homeland security minister has instructed the Inspector General of Police Dr. George Kainja not to enforce the warrant of arrest for Kalindo pending its cancellattion.
