The Malawi Police Service (MPS) has defied an order from the High Court of Malawi that stopped it from interdicting 40 police officers assigned to Vice-President Saulos Chilima’s security detail. In January this year, the court ordered the Malawi Police Service not to interdict the officers after an injunction obtained by lawyer Bright Theu was granted.
MPS had accused the officers of being absent without leave contrary to Section 3 of the Police Officers Schedule to Section 52 of the Police act. The initial interdiction letters said pending the completion of a disciplinary case, the officers were to receive only half of their salaries with effect from 9 January 2019.
The interdiction stemmed from the Inspector General, Rodney Jose’s wish to change Chilima’s security detail by redeploying the 40 security personnel assigned to his office, a move which Chilima did not agree with. The redeployment of the officers was seen as politically motivated ever since Chilima broke ranks with the governing DPP.
