Refugee advocate dismisses Police report as not true

A Refugee Advocate who is also Chief Executive Officer of Inua Advocacy Innocent Magambi, has dismissed reports coming from National Police Headquarters (Area 30) in Lilongwe that police have discovered five live bullets for AK47 in one of the containers at Area 30 on force-opening and search of containers, as not true.

In the reports, Police say they have arrested a man (a Malawian) who claimed that the container was for his boss Sabimana Joseph, a Rwandese who challenged government on the relocation exercise to Dzaleka Camp in Dowa and government found another charge which led to his deportation to his country of origin-Rwanda.

The police say apart from the five live bullets, they have also discovered money amounting to K1.4 million in the container saying police dogs are the ones which have discovered these items as they are conducting the search.

But, Magambi has dismissed all this as not true saying last Friday 8th September, 2023 a Malawian, Gift Simwaka presented letters to the police on the claims that he will witness the force-opening and search of his boss’s eight containers.

Magambi said after opening the first container, they found agricultural produce and one Generator saying on Monday,11th September, 2023 Simwaka went to Area 30 for the force-opening of other containers and upon arriving at the place, he was taken to Lingadzi Police Station for questioning.

When Magambi read on social media the report related to the five live bullets he was shocked but not surprised given the current politics surrounding the refugees affaires in Malawi.

The Advocate said he met the suspect at Lingadzi Police Station where he told him of the police reports making rounds in various media platforms but the man was also shocked as he was brought to Lingadzi Police Station without being told the offense he committed.

“The suspect told me that his arrest by police was done before opening the containers,” said Magambi.

He said he went back to Area 30 to ask for more information of the items found in the said container but the police did not come with any information saying he is banking his hope on Gift Simwaka for the truth of the matter to prevail.

He said on a sad note, he received information from Gift Simwaka that the police have charged him with the offense of giving false information on the containers saying he is still waiting for Gift to provide him with more information.

Meanwhile, Gift Simwaka a suspect has confirmed that the police have charged him with an offence of giving false information on the containers for his deported boss. Mr. Sabimana Joseph saying he went to Area 30 to show the Police containers for his boss.