LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Speaker of Malawi Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara is being accused of sitting on recommendation to institute commission of inquiry on Chikangawa Forest plane crash that killed the late Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others.
This comes after 192, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other individuals petitioned parliament on the commencement of the late Vice Chilima and eight others.
According to Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security, Speaker Gotani Hara was advised to go ahead with the inquiry a month ago.
The committee’s Chairperson Salim Bagus told The Maravi Post on Monday said 17 members of the committee agreed to have an inquiry with only one member voted against the proposal.
He said according to the committee procedure, the 16 yes stands for the majority, and there is a need for the establishment of the inquiry and the memo was sent to Chief of Staff of Parliament.
“The president said the plane which carried the late Veep and eight others reached Mzuzu while the German report said the plane did not reach Mzuzu.
“This is disturbing as a committee. We want to know what happened to answer questions of the bereaved,” said Bagus.
He added, “Many things has been said and allegations has been made and it’s only through the public inquiry those questions can be answered.
“Its very unfortunate that speaker of Parliament Madam Gotani Hara has been sitting on the inquiry approval for a month now”.
When pressed on the matter, Malawi Parliament Principal Public Relations officer Ian Mwenye refused to comment while asking for more time to disputes or agrees on the allegations.
