By Dorica Mtenje
Reposted after the President was forced to commission the Inquiry.
LILONGWE (Maravipost) :Following a petition signed by 192 Civil Society Organizations and individuals calling for an inquiry into the plane crash that claimed the life of former Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and nine others, it has been reported that the Speaker of Parliament has delayed approval for the inquiry for over a month.
In an interview with Maravi Post on October 26, 2024, Salim Bagus, the Chairperson for Defence and Security, stated that seventeen members of the committee voted in favor of proceeding with the inquiry, with only one member voting against it.
He emphasized that according to the committee’s procedures, the majority of sixteen votes in favor necessitates the establishment of the inquiry.
A memo regarding this was sent to the Chief of Staff of Parliament.
“The President claimed that the plane carrying the late Vice President, and nine others reached Mzuzu, while a report from Germany stated that the plane did not land in Mzuzu.
This contradiction is troubling for the committee, and we seek to understand what happened to address the concerns of the bereaved families,” said Bagus.
He added that numerous allegations have surfaced, and only through a public inquiry can these questions be adequately addressed.
Ian Mwenye, Parliament’s spokesperson, clarified that the Office of the Speaker had not yet received the resolution from the committee.
He said currently, the committee’s clerks are preparing the report from the meeting that resulted in the resolution, and once all necessary processes are completed, the submission will be made to the Office of the Speaker.