The Malawian police on Wednesday afternoon stormed the residence of former President Bakili Muluzi in Limbe and tried to demand guns from his bodyguards, The Nation reported Friday.
The guards protested angrily with the presence of Muluzi's lawyers who had rushed to the scene. The police officers, led by operations officer at the Southern Region Police headquarters Effie Kaitano, returned without success.
The incident came hot on the heels of the arrests on Tuesday of secretary-general of the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF),Kennedy Makwangwala, and former Blantyre City mayor John Chikakwiya, retired Army Commander Joseph Chimbayo, former Inspector-General of Police Joseph Aironi, retired Commissioner ofPolice Matthews Masoapyola and Malawi Defence Force officers brigadiers Marcel Chirwa, Cosgrove Mituka and Jack Mtende on treason charges allegedly masterminded by Muluzi.
The police officers, who demanded an entry into Muluzi's yard, quarrelled with his guards for some minutes while the former president's lawyers watched.
The guards, who are also police officers, told their counterparts they could not surrender the guns because the Inspector-General of Police was not aware of the issue.
The arrests came after President Bingu wa Mutharika's remarks at a rally in Nkhata Bay on Sunday that UDF leader and former President Bakili Muluzi was planning to overthrow the government on May 16 upon his return from Britain.
But Muluzi denied the allegations, saying they are baseless.
Source: Xinhua
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