VZCZCXRO0914
RR RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR
DE RUEHLG #0376/01 1221458
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021458Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2692
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC 0440

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LILONGWE 000376 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/S GABRIELLE MALLORY 
STATE FOR INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KCOR MI
SUBJECT: VICE-PRESIDENT ARRESTED FOR TREASON 
 
REF: A. LILONGWE 137 
     ¶B. LILONGWE 163 
     ¶C. LILONGWE 258 
     ¶D. 05 LILONGWE 15 
 
LILONGWE 00000376  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha was 
arrested on April 28 and charged with treason and conspiracy 
to commit murder, for an alleged plot to assassinate 
President Mutharika.  The Government claims Chilumpha, who 
has long been estranged from Mutharika, and four others hired 
a hit-man in South Africa to kill the President.  Four days 
after his arrest, Chilumpha is still being held in severely 
over-crowded Maula prison, and has yet to have a bail 
hearing.  The Minister of Justice claims the government has 
audio recordings of Chilumpha and his alleged cohorts 
plotting, and will present the alleged hit-man as a witness 
in the case.  However, it remains to be seen exactly what 
credible evidence the government--which has been trying to 
rid itself of Chilumpha for months (reftels)--will be able to 
put forward in court. End Summary. 
 
Arrested for Treason and Conspiracy 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Police arrested Chilumpha and three of his alleged 
accomplices late on the evening of April 28, and are 
reportedly still searching for the fourth suspect.  Chilumpha 
and the three others, confined in Lilongwe's Maula prison on 
Friday night, were not charged until Sunday, April 30th. 
Three of the alleged co-conspirators are members of the 
United Democratic Front (UDF) executive board, and the fourth 
is the leader of the Malawi Democratic Party (MDP), a minor 
party not represented in parliament.  The government claims 
that Chilumpha, acting with his accomplices, plotted to, 
"have his Excellency Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika assassinated so 
that he could ascend to the high office of State President," 
according to a statement from the Ministry of Justice. 
Chilumpha's lawyer plans to file court documents on May 2 
making the case that Chilumpha has immunity from prosecution 
under the law, and he will apply for bail for his 
alleged co-conspirators. 
 
VP in Trouble Again 
------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Chilumpha and President Mutharika have been 
estranged since Mutharika pulled out of the United Democratic 
Front (UDF) party and launched his own party over a year ago. 
 Chilumpha chose to remain in the UDF, and stayed loyal to 
former President Bakili Muluzi.  Since then Mutharika has 
tried unsuccessfully to rid himself of Chilumpha, including 
accepting his "constructive resignation" in early 2006 
(reftel B) and withdrawing the VP's security detail, vehicles 
and other perks of office.  That move was blocked by the 
Supreme court in the form of an injunction, and government 
was forced to back down. Mutharika subsequently forbade 
Chilumpha from attending any public functions.  In recent 
weeks, the VP controversy had subsided, and there was no 
mention of Chilumpha in debates during last month's sitting 
of Parliament. 
 
The Muslim Angle 
---------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) One by-product of Mutharika's continuing battle with 
Chilumpha has been the souring of the Muslim community's 
relationship with the President's government. Malawi's Muslim 
community, which makes up roughly 20 percent of the 
population, widely identifies with the UDF (both Muluzi and 
Chilumpha are Muslim).  Acts against Chilumpha are seen by 
some Muslim leaders as examples of targeted government 
discrimination against the Muslim community.  In this 
particular instance, the majority of Chilumpha's alleged 
co-conspirators, along with his lawyer, are also Muslim. 
Though there are few signs that the government is indeed 
targeting Muslims, the government has not effectively 
addressed that perception and seems content to ignore it. 
 
Comment: Is the Plot For Real? 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) On the surface, the charges against Chilumpha come 
across as a little far fetched, and many Malawians will see 
this as just another attempt by government to remove 
Chilumpha from office. This is the second alleged 
assassination attempt on Mutharika in 15 months.  The first 
 
LILONGWE 00000376  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
one in January 2005 (ref D), in which Chilumpha was not 
involved, resulted in a pre-trial presidential pardon for the 
three alleged co-conspirators, one of whom has since joined 
the president's new party and been elevated to a deputy 
minister position in government.  Malawians could hardly be 
blamed for taking the view that accusations of assassination 
plots have a political overtone. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Rumors of President Mutharika being sick with cancer 
have floated around Lilongwe over the past six months, which, 
if true, would be motivation enough for Mutharika to attempt 
to put someone else into the Vice-President's office. Also, 
coming just weeks after the government's last failed attempt 
to remove Chilumpha and hours after the end of the 
parliamentary session, the timing of these treason 
allegations is suspicious, to say the least.  Placing the VP 
in prison over the weekend, rather than under house arrest, 
also shows how personal the rift between Mutharika and 
Chilumpha has become. 
 
¶7. (SBU) That said, there is no love lost for Chilumpha among 
the general public, and the subdued public reaction since the 
arrest would indicate that many Malawians seem willing to 
believe that the VP (and through him Muluzi) would go to 
extreme measures to put the UDF back in power. In the end, 
the plausibility of the charges will come down to the 
evidence that the government brings to the table. 
 
EASTHAM