BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The High Court in Blantyre on Sunday, saved Rumphi East lawmaker Kamlepo Kalua from being arrested over alleged tax evasion.
The Court also ordered Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and the Malawi Police Service, to immediately release the three vehicles belonging to the legislator Kalua, and his son, that were seized by the two state agencies.
Kamlepo’s lawyer Wanangwa Hara, said Judge Rowland Mbvundula granted his client temporal relief, and said the police and MRA search and seizing of the motor vehicles, was unwarranted.
Lawyer Hara observed that there was no legal justification for police or MRA, to plot to search the houses concerning the motor vehicles that were cleared a long time ago on a duty-free status by the authorities.
“We moved the Court with a certificate of extreme urgency for judicial review for the decision of the Inspector General of Police and the MRA Commissioner General, and Judge Mbvundula, granted an order that the decision by the two state institutions in respect of this matter, should be amenable for review,” said Hara.
National Police Spokesperson James Kadadzera however, disputed claims of any warrant of arrest to the Rumphi East legislator.
About 120 Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and Police officers, on Wednesday pounced on the outspoken Kalua’s house over evasion charges.
The development was seen as a desperate move by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, to divert the public attention from social-economic ills the country has plunged into.
In his dismay, the fearless Member of Parliament Kamlepo Kalua, said the Police and MRA officers invaded his house and that of his children, demanding duty tax documents on two of his vehicles.
Kamlepo wondered asked why there was the large number of officers and how they could sink so low parading with bravado, just to intimidate him. He claimed this was done because of his criticism on the DPP leadership and its failure.
The legislator challenged President Peter Mutharika’s government that he would not be forced to surrender, and be silenced despite the intimidation.
He said it is illegal to attempt to arrest him, when he is engaged on parliamentary business; the MP serves on the education committee on higher learning institutions.
The DPP government is said to be using the MRA to pounce on its critics; these include the Times Group, and Boniface. The actions of the government revenue agency, is seen as being politically motivated operation.
The Kamlepo house invasion comes barely a few days after the police in Blantyre, arrested Stella Assani, the person suspected to be the author of the letter that was circulated in social media, that purported to be the resignation letter from Malawi Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima.