LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Former Malawi Defence Force (MDF) commander Paul Valentino Phiri has put Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga directly in the spotlight, urging the Parliamentary Ad-hoc Committee investigating the June 10, 2024 Chikangawa plane crash to immediately summon him for questioning.
General Phiri told the committee on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 that Luhanga, who was serving as Northern Region Police Commissioner at the time of the crash, should appear before the inquiry and account for what happened on the police side during the initial response and search-and-rescue operation.
Phiri also told the committee that Luhanga is said to have ordered stopping search operation in the evening of June 10 inside the forest.
“Luhanga and other MDF officers are supposed to be hear to answer some of these questions,” demands retired General Phiri.
The call comes as the committee intensifies its examination of the police response, communication and coordination following the disappearance of the aircraft carrying former Vice-President Saulos Chilima and eight others.
Luhanga is now the Inspector General of Police, having previously served as Northern Region Commissioner.
The demand comes amid renewed scrutiny of the police response after witnesses told the committee that community members reported the suspected crash to police in Mzuzu on the morning of June 10, 2024.
The big question now: Will the committee summon IG Luhanga to explain what the police knew, when they knew it, and what action was taken?
Leave a Reply