LL High Court Rejects State Application To Revoke Bail For Mphwiyo Shooting Suspects

The state application to revoke bail of all suspects accused of attempted murder and conspire to commit murder of former budget director Mr. Paul Mphwiyo has been rejected by the court.

The Lilongwe High Court has on Monday evening rejected a state application made last month asking Justice Michael Mtambo to nullify bail of suspects following alleged interference with and threats to state witnesses.

However, Justice Mtambo said though there was an audio affidavit where two state witnesses claimed to have been threatened but observed that they lacked definitive identification of the one who was issuing such threats.

The Judge says, the court finds no evidence or probability of threat hence rejection of the state application 

Apparently this rejection will have an impact to the court determination of the judgement on Wednesday of whether to continue or discontinue the case considering that the state has for all along emphasising that its key state witnesses including Charles Chalunda were interfered with and threatened.

Justice Mtambo is expected to make a judgement on Wednesday whether the accused have case to answer or not.

Former Justice and Constitution Affairs Minister, Raphael Kasambara who is representing himself, Pika and his brother Dauka Manondo, McDonald Kumwembe, Oswald Lutepo and Robert Kadzuwa are the suspects in this case.

Two Suspected Poachers Nabbed, Found with Gun, Ammunition

Two men aged 30 and 32, have been arrested in Salima district for entering Thuma forest reserve with a gun for possible poaching mission.

Police Public Relations Officer for Salima district, Sub Inspector Gift Chitowe has identified the suspects as Alfred Leviasi aged 30 of Kaoche village from T/A Tambala and Kwetemu Kazola aged 32 of Jailosi village from T/A Kasumbi both from Dedza  district.

"Police we have arrested the two for conveying dangerous weapon into a protected forest reserve called Thuma in the night of 25th April 2015." Confirmed Chitowe

Sub Inspector Chitowe says the two, were arrested and have their weapon seized. He identified the weapon as Greener Gun and that four ammunitions were found which  police suspect that they were to be use for poaching. 

He said, it was the game scouts working within Thuma forest reserve who alerted police having spotted two men sneaking into the forest with a gun. 

"Their intention was to kill protected wild animals like elephants that are found in this forest" said Sub Inspector Chitowe

The two suspects will appear before First Grade Magistrate Court soon where they will answer charges of conveying a dangerous weapon into a protected forest reserve which is under Forest Act. 

"If found guilty are likely to face eight year jail term." Said Sub Inspector Chitowe

Mphwiyo Shooting Case: State Has No Evidence Says Defense

Case To Answer Or Not Set This Wednesday 

The Lilongwe High Court has reserved a ruling to Wednesday this week on whether the accused persons in the attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder of Malawi's former Budget Director, Paul Mphwiyo are guilty or not guilty.

Justice Michael Mtambo is expected this Wednesday to make his determination of whether to continue or discontinue with the having finished listened to oral submissions by both parties on Monday.

Meanwhile the judge is also expected to rule whether Oswald Lutepo should be acquitted in the case following acknowledgement by state that Lutepo was a mistaken identity by the witness who implicated him.

State and Defense were since Monday morning till afternoon making oral submission following written submissions made on 21st of April 2015 and that Justice Mtambo was expected to make a ruling following day on Tuesday however, this has not been possible because submissions ended very late in the day.

The defense, in its submission argued that the state has failed to provide substantive evidence to demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that the accused had conspired and attempted to kill Paul Mphwiyo who happened to be their friend.

Defense lawyers, John Gift Mwakhwawa, Wapona Kita and self represented lawyer Raphael Kasambara have submitted that the case is a script written by Paul Mphwiyo as it has demonstrated that the lead investigator in this case Kankhwala Chilinda had failed to provide evidence that he had investigations following testimony of Paul Mphwiyo and other witnesses.

The defense further accused Chilinda for lying to court in many occasions and that the state throughout the case has been inconsistent including its witnesses.

The defense also attacked Airtel call logs indicating suspects communication web even the night when Paul Mphwiyo was shot, saying the investigator or the state had not at any point indicated or brought any witness to prove that the phone numbers found in the call logs belongs to any of the suspects.

The defense also pointed out lack of bringing material evidence especially a note which is said to have been written down by Paul Mphwiyo to his aunt bearing names of those that shot him. 

But in its submission, the state has maintained that it has never been inconsistent but some inconsistencies came in due to accused persons interference with state witnesses and threats.

The state further submitted that it brought enough evidence that reveals how the suspects were communicating prior and during the time Paul Mphwiyo was shot. Adding that Paul Mphwiyo who survived the attack on 13th September 2013, was a living testimony to tell who shot him.

The suspects in the case of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder of Paul Mphwiyo are; Dauka and his brother Pika Manondo, McDonald Kumwembe, Robert Kadzuwa, Raphael Kasambara and Oswald Lutepo

RTS, S Malaria Vaccine Candidate Study Shows Success

Malawi team in Malaria vaccine study

A study on Malaria vaccine candidate has registered positive results, now thought to be a break through in the fight against Malaria in endemic regions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Final results from a large-scale Phase III trial of the RTS, S Malaria vaccine candidate including a booster dose shows that it can protect children and infants from clinical malaria for at least three years after first vaccination. 

Eleven research centres in 7 African countries including Area 18 Health Centre in Lilongwe conducted the efficacy and safety trial where the evaluation was in the context of the existing malaria control measures such as incectcide treated bed nets which were used by approximately 80% of the 15, 459  participants.

Prof. Francis Martinson

A Principle Investigator in the trial in Malawi, who is also UNC Project Country Director, Professor Francis Martinson says the latest results to the end of study demonstrates that RTS, S followed by a booster dose of RTS, S administered 18 months after primary schedule, reduced number of cases of clinical malaria in children aged 5-17 months by 36% and by 26% to Infants aged 6-12 weeks.

However without a booster dose the reduction in clinical malaria cases were between 28% and 18% in children and infants respectively.

"Today we have a vaccine which has shown to be effective in one way or the other, the vaccine had showed the efficacy of 36% in the order age group of 5 to 17 months so we are very happy because this is the first time that a vaccine has show some efficacy said Prof. Martinson who added that this is a progress and it is a first vaccine against the parasite."

"We believe this is a beginning of something big, we believe that this is a beginning is something good thats the vaccine hopefully will be improved over the years for us to also have something that works better than something we have seen."

Prof. Francis Martinson
(second from left) Next to him 
is Dr. Portia Kamthunzi 
(a Lead Physician/ Investigator 
of Records

On the recorded percentage efficacy against severe malaria to the end of the study period wich did not even reach 50%, he said If we look carefully the 36% sounds small but this is on top of 80% of bed net usage and that translates to 1774 cases of malaria prevented per every 1000 children. So it looks small but to have over a thousand cases of malaria prevented for every thousand people or children is not a mean achievement. It means at least everybody has been spared in one episode of going to the hospital and therefore the mother of that child is in a great relief because we all know what it means to get malaria and how our mothers suffer through the process for these kids.

Currently the data has been passed on to the European Medicines Agency, where they are looking at it and if they are happy with it they will refer the information to the WHO, who will also look at the results. 

"If the WHO will be happy with the information hopefully they will recommend to African governments to include the vaccine in their EPI programmes." said Prof. Francis Martinson

It is intended to complement and not supplement other malaria control interventions.

The results are important as infants are considered to be the primary target for RTS, S immunisation.

The Sumary details of the research 

Prof. Francis Martinson (middle) and Dr. Portia
Kamnthunzi to his right 

We are pleased to announce that the Final results from a large-scale Phase III trial of the RTS, S malaria vaccine candidate, including the impact of a booster dose, show that the vaccine candidate helped protect children and infants from clinical malaria for at least three years after first vaccination.

The latest results demonstrated that vaccination with RTS,S, followed by a booster dose of RTS,S administered 18 months after the primary schedule, reduced the number of cases of clinical malaria in children (aged 5-17 months at first vaccination) by 36% to the end of the study and in infants (aged6-12 weeks at first vaccination) by 26% to the end of the study. Efficacy decreased over time in both age groups. Without the booster dose, the vaccine reduced clinical malaria cases by 28% in children and 18% in infants to the study end. The efficacy of RTS,S was evaluated in the context of existing malaria control measures, such as insecticide treated bed nets, which were used by approximately 80% of the children and infants in the trial.

For children in the 5-17 month age category who received a booster dose, an average of 1,774 cases of clinical malaria were prevented for every 1,000 children vaccinated across the trial sites, at the end of the study. For infants aged 6-12 weeks age category, who received a booster dose, 983 cases of clinical malaria, on average, were prevented for every 1,000 infants vaccinated. More cases were averted in areas of higher malaria transmission. In the absence of a booster dose, 1,363 cases of clinical malaria were prevented, on average, for every 1,000 children aged 5-17 months and 558 cases for every 1,000 infants aged 6-12 weeks at first vaccination to the end of the study.

Statistically significant efficacy against severe malaria to the end of the study period was observed only in children who received the booster dose. There was indication of increased risk for severe malaria in children who did not receive the booster dose, compared to those in the control group.

Eleven research centres in seven African countries conducted the efficacy and safety trial, in partnership with GSK and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), with grant funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to MVI. The trial, started in March 2009 and concluded in January 2014, enrolled 15,459 participants, in two age categories: children (aged 5-17 months at first vaccination) and infants (aged 6-12 weeks at first vaccination).

Safety

RTS,S continued to display an acceptable safety and tolerability profile during the entire study period. 

The incidence of fever in the week after vaccination was higher in children who received RTS,S than in those receiving control vaccine. In some children who experienced fever, the febrile reaction was accompanied by generalized convulsions, but all those affected fully recovered within seven days. The meningitis signal previously reported remains in the older age category, including two cases reported after the booster dose of RTS,S. This could be a chance finding, as comparisons were made across groups for many different diseases, and because some of these cases happened years after vaccination without any obvious relationship to vaccination. The occurrence of meningitis will be followed closely during Phase IV studies, if RTS,S is licensed.

These data was part of submissions to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in July 2014. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is currently reviewing the regulatory application for RTS,S through the Art. They will also be shared with appropriate World Health Organisation (WHO) committees. All these agencies are expected to play various roles in the registration of the vaccine for use in future. A positive opinion from the EMAs Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, together with a potential policy recommendation from the World Health Organisation (anticipated by the end of 2015), would be the basis for licensure applications to National Regulatory Authorities in sub-Saharan African countries. If positive, these regulatory decisions would help pave the way for the introduction of RTS, S through African national immunisation programmes. If RTS, S is approved, GSK has committed to making the vaccine available at a not-for-profit price.

Sustainable Agricultural Production Programme Procures 22 Field Vehicles

Kumwembe handing over
the keys

Sustainable Agriculture Production Programme has procured 22 motor vehicles for its six site projects in order to ease mobility of Agricultural Officers to farmers.

This programme which is supported by IFAD, concentrates on enhancing agricultural productivity and improving rural food security through simple, affordable technologies, to help smallholder farmers bridge the wide gap between actual and possible food-crop yields in Malawi.

Under this project IFAD is pumping in US $51.1 million where  half as grant and half as Loan and that Malawi government is also putting in US $4.2 million and beneficiaries are also putting in US $ 1.2 million.

Principal Secretary II for Ministry of Agriculture Bright Kumwembe says the vehicles costs them a Billion Kwacha and has since advised Agricultural Development Division offices receiving the vehicles to take care of them, warning that drivers and any officers found misusing these vehicles shall face consequence.

“These vehicles are 22 in number and have cost us K1 billion. They are going to our six projects site, currently we have received 8 vehicles and the other vehicles will be receives in the coming two weeks” said Kumwembe

“We thought it wise that we give out these vehicles so that they start working in the field than waiting for the whole contingent of vehicles to be here.”

Speaking of importance of taking care of these new vehicles, Kumwembe said “The Ministry under our Agriculture Sector Wide Approach we have come up with the fleet management system which is going to help us monitor the vehicles in terms of service usage and abuse, so we are sure that the system is going to help us protect the investment that we have now as well as investments that we have had before this investment.”

As you might be aware, he added "government spends a lot of money to procure vehicles and manage them but often times we find that because of negligence we lose these vehicles. Now government is trying as much as possible to make sure that people who are negligent will have to meet the cost of their negligence.”

Salima Police Arrests 41 Children In 'Go Back To School' Campaign

Police in Salima together with Education, Social Welfare and Labour are in a campain 'Go Back to School' a campaign which involves sweeping exercise during night hours and stopping child labour.

Salima Police Public Relations Officer Sub Inspector Gift Chitowe says the joint force on this exercise aim at enrolling back some children who dropped out of school and to stop the malpractice of employing children to work in different parts of Salima particularly selling merchandise along the roads during late hours which is becoming a new attractive enterprise of young people in the district. 

Sub Inspector Chitowe says in the night hours of 22nd April police have already netted 41 school aged children found loitering and vending in some of the trading centres in the district and that parents and employers of these children have been cautioned to stop the malpractice forthwith or the law will take its course.

He further warned that if such parents and employers or any would be perpetrator of such malpractice is found guilty shall face eight year jail sentenced.

"We really want to end the problem in our district having seen the statistics of our registered offenses. It has been observed that most of the offenses like indecent assult of children and defilement cases which are very rampant  are a result of current trend where school aged children are found selling merchandise along streets during night hours, so this is making it simple for people using drugs and alcohol to take advantage of the situation to assault these children."

"This is a main reason why at the district council level, us police together with other departments of education, social welfare and labour to embark on stopping these children from being found along streets at night and get them back to school.” he explained

“So, currently we have arrested 41 children whom we have invited their parents and their employers. We cautioned them that nenever again send children to work at night hours and that every children must be at school else shall face the law and risks eight year jail term.”

"It is our hope that the current situation in Salima is ruining future of children, so we cannot wait and look as these children future is being spoiled. So we feel that time is now especially for the school dropout kids, that they can go back to school to make their future." Said Sub Inspector Chitowe

Ntchisi Police, Communities Join Forces in Protecting Albino

Police in Ntchisi have assured people in the district that it is geared to deal with all suspects who are trafficking and mistreating albinos.

According to Ntchisi Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Gladson M'bumpha, police in the district had on Thursday conducted Community Policing meeting at Traditional Authority Chilooko Headquarters where Officer Incharge for Ntchisi Police, Assistant Commissioner Chaupi Chiona appealed to the general public to report to police all suspected persons doing albino selling business.

"During the meeting,  weak and dead community policing forums were revamped to ensure that the area have total security." Said Sgt Gladson M'bumpha

Sgt M'bumpha also mentioned that during the meeting, Police distributed reflectors to community policing forums and members as one way of thanking them for the good work of working hand in hand with the police in reducing crime.

The Ntchisi Police PRO further said Traditional Authority Chilooko expressed gratitude for the restructuring of the community policing forums and further appealed to his subjects to help police tighten security and protect people with albinism.

The meeting attracted Senior Group headmen, Village headmen and community policing forums and members from the area of Traditional

Authority Chilooko in the district.