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The Commission of Inquiry into the death of Bingu Mutharika in April last year has contradicted President Joyce Banda’s public claims that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials looted the state house during the funeral.
Prior to Mutharika’s burial on April 23 2012, president Banda went into town claiming that DPP officials were looting, moving property, bags of dollars from the State House.
President Banda then warned that her administration would not allow some people to take away what belongs to Malawians.
And only last week, President Banda repeated the claims at a public rally in Chintheche, Nkhatabay, where she expressed her dismay at the DPP functionaries’ conduct
However, the inquiry report indicates that the Guard Commander, Duncan Mwapasa, testified that when the Bingu was flown to South Africa for medical attention he, as usual, issued instructions to State House police and security that they should secure and guard the State House premises, especially the President’s private residence, since both the President and First Lady were not around.
He told the Commission that he made sure that security at the State House premises was maintained.
Mwapasa further informed the Commission that as far as he was aware nothing belonging to the government left the premises by way of looting or theft.
He denied that there was looting at State House and submitted to the Commission that he had also just read about the issue in the papers.
