Amwenye kidnapping cases continue to rise: CCEDI angered, writes to Speaker to summon IG for explanation – Malawi Nyasa Times

Since the beginning of the year, four cases of abductions of Malawians of Asian origin have been reported – a serious security concern that forced the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) to write to Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani to use her powers to mandate a joint parliamentary committee to conduct a public inquiry to help Malawians exercise their right to know what is happening to the country’s security system.

CCEDI also wants the joint committee – particularly the Committee on Trade and Industry and the Committee on Defence and Security – to summon the current Inspector General (IG) of the MPS, Mrs Merlyn Yolamu, to explain to the nation whether she has the country’s security system under control and to make a statement on the apparent security breakdown in the country.

In a letter dated 22.^and The letter was signed by CCEDI Executive Director, Sylvestre Namiwa, on August 17, 2024, and duly received by Gotani’s personal assistant, Grace Nyirenda. According to CCEDI, the authorities’ concern has been triggered by government inaction in a recent case involving a 26-year-old businessman and British citizen of Indian descent, Mr. Muhammad Kasiman, who was abducted at about 2pm on his way back to the office from the Falls Estate (Area 1) Mosque in Lilongwe.

“The nation received assurances from the police in Lilongwe that they had the situation under control, only to later learn from the same police that Mr. Kasiman was released on Saturday evening, July 27, 2024, without further details and arrests,” he said, adding that almost a month later, there was no official statement from the Malawi Police Service (MPS), the family or the survivor.

Namiwa adds that at the height of shock and despair, Malawians were relieved to read an article that went viral on social media, which reportedly quoted Homeland Security Minister Ken Zikhale Ng’oma as vowing to leave no stone unturned in investigating the spate of kidnappings against the Asian community in Malawi.

But despite these assurances, nothing has happened so far.

“Today, Malawians live in fear as allegations of kidnapping continue to pose a serious security risk around the world. To make matters worse, this latest case involved a foreign national and a businessman.

“Simply put, the deafening silence of the authorities is fuelling fear and panic among Malawians. Moreover, it has the potential to scare away potential and existing investors, thereby jeopardising efforts to revive the ailing economy and create much-needed jobs for youth,” he said.

He also notes that people still question whether Malawi is a safe place to live or do business.

“Why do our police seem to be uninterested in these serious security concerns? Is it due to incompetence or sheer negligence? Has ransom been paid in all these cases? Are these cases the result of business deals gone wrong?” he asks.

This is the fourth kidnapping case involving the Asian community. A simple internet search shows that two cases were reported to us in 2021: Tariq Noorani and Faizal Aboo, while in June 2022, three-year-old boy Aaraf Kapadia was also kidnapped.

There was no immediate response from the spokesman’s office.

But this is a developing story and we will keep you updated.

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