Under pressure to explain the removal of Malawi Defence Force (MDF) commander General Ignacious Maulana and replacing him with his former deputy Griffin Supuni-Phiri , chief state spy Nicholous Dausi and another top State House official have ‘manufactured’ secret memorandum to convince Malawians that the sacked Maulana was about to ‘take over’ government.
Dausi: We will use the available resources
President Peter Mutharika receives a gift of Pump gun from General Ignacio Maulana who is now sacked
The fake memo
Nyasa Times can exclusively reveal that Dausi and State House Director General Peter Mukhitho, a former Inspector General of Police are being the forged signatures of both Maulana and Lieutenant Colonel Phillip Nyamali to create an impression that the two were conniving to stage a coup de tat by August 6, 2016.
Maulana was unceremoniously fired by President Pater Mutharika at the weekend although he still has three years on his contract and was ‘warehoused’ to the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) to look after security matters there.
Nyasa Times has seen two memos, leaked by Dausi one of which Nyamali is asking General Maulana to execute ‘plan B.’
“General Sir, you might have recalled in my first memo addressing the political situation and the saga that your fellow Generals were campaigning for your down fall especially including the duff Colonels, who name themselves your deport mates. This time one of them has summoned you to these prevailing politicians including Mlakho clans.”
“General Sir, these prevailing politicians are planning to suck (sic) you and replaced you with the brushiest, your deputy. Remember General what happened to the two Generals, the late Gen Mautanga and Gen Simwaka. They were promised to be deployed in diplomatic mission, where are they now? This is food for thought,” reads part of the memo dated July 27, 2016 with reference of Secret/Ops/1 and connected file; Secret/Ops/1 dated 18 October 2015.
“Plan B is available, Live Execution or Secret Elimination, General Sir; I have won all hearts and minds of the troops here at RARA BN, especially the commandos. Cos south are ready Sir, MAFCO no problem hand over notes were done before the former commandant was deployed to DRC and I have convinced other Commanding Officers. We seek your authority to meet at the same venue for verbal briefing or at your convenient place and time. Please advise accordingly,” reads the memo in part.
In that memo, Maulana is purportedly responded in ink by the side of the memo with his supposed signature and the words ‘Execute on 6 August 16’
In another memo, probably to show the friendship of Maulana and Nyamali, dated 20 June 2014 Ref. file: Secret/Admin with subject ‘Congratualations’, this time Major Nyamali writes the Defence Force Commander congratulating him on his new appointment.
“I have the honour to appraise you General and congratulate you on your new appointment.”
“General Sir, we are happy and accept our best wishes in your career from inner circle: Col S Mchungula, Col GW Phiri, Lt Col Mwase. Lt Col Kalisha, Maj Yetala, Maj CR Phiri, Maj J Chilambe, Maj Y Ngwira, Maj Njete, Maj Ntonya, Maj Basikolo and Capt Sichali. We will celebrate with you at a place to be communicated later after you are settled,” reads the memo in part.
“General Sir, you may wish to hear the drama happened to your deputy while in Windhoek, Namibia he called his staff and driver at DOT directing them to collect Four Star General pips. Your Deputy is not happy, he was over confident and cheated with fellow Mlakhos to be the next General after that idiot Odilo. Sir, we bid to assist you and frustrate them,” reads the memo signed by Major Phillip Nyamali, psc.
When we checked the authenticity of the memos, our military source dismissed the memos saying they are ‘machinations of other people’.
“There is strict discipline here and we do not write memos of that sort, check even the language and the decorum, this is not from the military, an amateur was doing that. There are some many things I can tell you that these memos are not legit. They are machinations of other people,” said the source.
He said for example, none in the military, especially Malawi Army can discuss sensitive matters purported in the memo dated July 27, 2016 ‘and you have the whole Army Commander giving a go ahead to a mission like that one giving a date in the process? This has never been heard of in any military operation’.
Insiders also confided in us that when State House was failing to give a convincing answer why Maulana was removed, Dausi, as always, came up with a solution.
“Dausi is the one who came up with this idea saying it worked during Bingu’s time and it will surely work this time around hence he leaked the memos himself,” said our source at State House.
“They are planning to go ahead with this and they will be dragging some politicians in here too,” revealed the source.
Dausi refused to comment on matter of security, saying it is sensitive.
There have been several reports by Dausi led spy agency claiming there is a regime change agenda being plotted to overthrow President Mutharika.
Three opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) executive Ulemu Msungama, spokesperson Jessie Kabwila and the party’s legal adviser Peter Chakwantha, are answering to treason charge over alleged WhatsApp chat discussing how to unseat Mutharika.
The development comes after concerns that the intelligence body which is politically compromised had resorted to “cheap propaganda”.
Chancellor College-based political scientist, Boniface Dulani told the press that “NIB has been used, and continues to be used by ruling parties to advance partisan, rather than national, interest.
“The main targets end up being opposition politicians, those that hold critical voices or are considered disloyal to the ruling party and elites.”
Early this year, government said it had intelligence information that MCP with assistance from the international community was plotting to unseat president Mutharika. MCP officials denied those allegations.
Outgoing British High Commissioner Michael Nevin confirmed to a local daily that United Kingdom has been raising the concerns with Malawi government over politisation of NIB for some time.
DPP has a history of creating imaginary coup plots.
In 2008 former president Bakili Muluzi was placed under house arrest in the city of Blantyre after returning from a trip to the UK when the DPP government accused him of plot a coup with senior military officers.
Muluzi, who served two terms before stepping down in 2004, was questioned by police who showed him an anonymous letter allegedly linking him to a plot to overthrow late President Bingu wa Mutharika.
The case failed and government compensated former army head of intelligence, Brigadier General Cosgrave Mituka, and Major General Mathews Chirwa who were arrested on the same coup plot saga.
Government also compensated former army commander late Joseph Chimbayo and former Inspector-General of police Joseph Aironi, both were arrested on same allegations for plotting to overthrow the government.
Muluzi is seeking compensation from government for false imprisonment, physical inconvenience and defamation on the same.
And Cassim Chilumpha was arrested in 2006 and charged with treason when he was serving as vice-president to late President Bingu wa Mutharika after for allegedly plotting a coup.
Businessman-cum-politician Rashid Nembo was awarded K8.5 million in compensation by the court after he was wrongly accused in the matter.
The case collapsed as State prosecutors indicated that the charges may be dropped.
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