… Angella Chifundo Mwale crucifies Akweni
…in a conspiracy to assassinate Chakwera case
By Faith Simbi
Evidence presented by a prime witness in a case in which United Transformation Movement (UTM) Secretary General Patricia Kaliati is accused of conspiring to kill President Lazarus Chakwera has exposed the alleged plot in stark detail.
In a Police recorded statement which has been deposited with the court as evidence, Angella Chifundo Mwale alleges that Kaliati assembled a team of mafias and a spiritual ‘god’ based in Nigeria to kill Chakwera.
It is alleged that the abortive plot was hatched to benefit the late Vice President Saulos Chilima who could have ascended to power as dictated by the republican Constitution.
Kaliati strongly persuaded and convinced Chilima that the fallen vice president was the right heir to the country’s coveted throne.
The first goal, in liaison with Chilima, was to win a spiritual favour for the problem’ being faced by the late Chilima and when such favour was bestowed upon Chilima, Kaliati’s thirst remained unquenched as she further convinced Chilima to have Chakwera assassinated. Chilima agreed with the plan.
Chilima was answering corruption charges but all charges leveled against him were dropped on May 6, 2024.
He was arrested in 2022 over graft allegations after the country’s corruption watchdog, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) alleged he was rewarded for assisting Xaviar Limited and Malachitte FZE, two companies connected to British businessman Zuneth Sattar, to be awarded contracts by the Malawi government.
According to Mwale’s court evidence, Kaliati became so desperate last year so much, so that she met Mwale through a man identified as Josephy Odala.
Later he approached me and asked me to assist him in finding solutions for some problems,” Mwale recounts in a sworn witness statement at the court which Malawi Focus has seen and can report with authority.
The sworn statement was recorded by Superintendent M.J Kamphandira on 29 November 2024 who is a criminal investigator at Lingandzi Police.
“Joseph Odala narrated that Hon. Kaliati has got problems which need interventions. Then Joseph took me to area 44 in Lilongwe at the house of Hon, Kaliati. We were three of us, Hon. Kaliati, Josephy Odala and myself,” she narrates.
“Josephy Odala introduced me to Hon Patricia Kaliati, and Hon, Kaliati welcomed me. He (Odala) narrated that they were looking for a spiritual favour for the problem being faced by Vice President Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima. By then, Dr. Cjilima was answering corruption cases and the President stopped delegating him for official duties and their relationship was sour,” submits Mwale to the court.
Mwale said Kaliati and Odala told her directly that they wanted “someone who would help them so that the situation should normalise and Hon. Kaliati went on to say that they have tried in Malawi and Zambia but have spent too much money without any help.”
Kaliati asked Mwale if she could find a man who could do “genuine things” to bring the solutions so that Chilima would be freed.
At this juncture, Mwale assured Kaliati and Odala that she had a Nigerian friend and was the right person.
Malawi Focus understands that Mwale remained on high alert and conscious throughout to the extent that she had courageously asked Kaliati whether indeed Chilima was aware of the move.
Kaliati assured Mwale that Chilima was aware of such a move and that it was the fallen politician who was desperate for spiritual favours.
“I went further to request Kaliati to allow me to meet the Vice President on the matter. But Hon. Kaliati told me it was not possible due to the restrictions he was having. Instead, she called the Vice President in my presence and the call was so loud. Hon. Kaliati introduced the matter to Chilima,” Mwale told the court.
In his response, according to the witness statement, Chilima sounded worried, and confessed that he had previously spent money to buy spiritual favours but it did not materialise as ‘conmen and tricksters swindled him big time.’
However, in the same phone conversation, Kaliati kept on assuring Chilima that they had found the right person in Mwale who had a vast network of individuals when it came to attracting spiritual favours.
“Dr. Chilima accepted on condition that we use our resources and be refunded upon completion of the mission of favour, peace and restoration of his delegations. Hon. Kaliati, Odala and I all accepted,” she said.
Now that the four (Chilima, Kaliati, Odala and Mwale) have unanimously agreed. In the next edition, Malawi Focus delves into the circumstances of Chilima and Kaliati sanctioned the trip to Nigeria to buy ‘spiritual favours.”