Kabwila on bail on her treason charge

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Jessie Kabwila & Gustav Kaliwo

…Chakhwantha hands himself in

Having spent a cold night in custody on Monday, opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Publicist, Jessie Kabwila was this monring granted bail, Malawi24 can confirm.

Jessie Kabwila & Gustav Kaliwo
Kabwila (left) shortly after her release

Her arrest came after a thread of WhatsApp messages purportedly by Kabwila and other MCP members had discussed to stage an “Arab Spring-like revolution” with the intention of ousting president Mutharika.

Unlike Ulemu Msungama who has been charged with sedition, Kabwila has treason charges on her, police have confirmed.

“It’s my pleasure to suffer for Malawians. If this government is falling down because of WhatsApp messages, then there is no government at all” said Jessie Kabwila at Kanengo Police having been released.

In the thread, MCP officials are said to have been infuriated by what they see as the president’s failure to end a stinging food crisis that has seen maize prices sky-rocket to K20,000 a bag of 50kg in just under a few months and inflation exceed over 20%.

Before her arrest, police had also netted Msungama who has now been charged with sedition.

Meanwhile, Parliament Legal Affairs Committee chairperson, Peter Louis Chakhwantha, handed himself over to the police in Lilongwe earlier today. Chakhwantha, who is also MCP’s Legal Advisor, was on wanted list relating to the same WhatsApp plot. He was driven to the police headquarters in Lilongwe’s Area 30 by Gustav Kaliwo, MCP secretary general.