Police denies arresting Kamlepo

The Malawi Police Service (MPS) has denied rumours hovering on the social media that it is keeping in custody Kamlepo Kalua, opposition People’s Party (PP) Third Vice President for the north who is reported missing.

The news that Kamlepo Kalua, a fearless critic of President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika that is missing started like a rumour on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Kalua’s elder son, Ken confirmed of the reports that he is really missing and the family is worried.

According to Ken, on Saturday morning his mother got a phone call from Khetase Yiwombe, officer-in-charge of Interpol/Anti-Motor Vehicle Theft Department at the National Police Headquarters in Lilongwe who said she was looking for Kalua.

“The police officer spoke to our mother who later relayed the message to him around 11am. Our father said he was going there [to police] and since then we have not been able to talk to him or trace him, we don’t even know his whereabouts,” he said.

The statement fueled rumours on the social media that Kamlepo is in police custody.

But speaking in an interview with the press, National Police Spokesperson James Kadadzera trashed the reports, saying the reports are untrue.

Kadadzera said is in hiding for no reason because he is not on police wanted list.

“If it’s true that Kamlepo is missing the family should come on the open and report the matter to the nearest police station,” said Kadadzera.

But the family said was yet to report the matter to police “because the consensus is they cannot help anything considering their demonstrated conduct when they came to seize the vehicles and treated us like thugs”.

Meanwhile some other quarters have said Kamlepo is seeking sympathy from Malawians.