‘No comment’: Defiant Namiwa stonewalls Malawi police over First Lady, VP presidency claims

Detained activist Sylvester Namiwa repeatedly invoked his right to silence during a tense police interview following his arrest, refusing to answer a barrage of pointed questions on some of the most explosive claims he has made in recent weeks. The Executive Director of the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) stonewalled investigators at every turn, offering nothing but a curt “no comment” as officers pressed him for evidence behind several controversial public statements. Police first pushed Namiwa to substantiate his claim that First Lady’s Beautify Malawi (BEAM) Trust receives funding from individuals linked to money laundering — a serious allegation that has sparked fierce debate since he first made it.

“Can you provide evidence to support your claim that the First Lady’s Beautify Malawi (BEAM) Trust receives funding from individuals involved in money laundering?” officers demanded. Namiwa’s response was brief and unwavering: “No comment.” Investigators then shifted their line of questioning, attempting to establish which senior government figures Namiwa has been in contact with. “Can you identify the Cabinet ministers you communicate with?” police asked — only to be met, once again, with silence.

The activist was similarly tight-lipped when quizzed over the source of information behind his claims relating to the contentious Lumbadzi land issue, which he had raised during a recent televised programme. “Can you disclose who provided you with information regarding the Lumbadzi land issue, and provide evidence to support the claims you made during a recent televised programme?” officers asked. Perhaps most strikingly, police pressed him to clarify his most politically explosive remarks yet — his suggestion that Vice-President Jane Ansah could become the country’s next president within two months, comments that have already triggered a fierce backlash from religious and political figures alike.

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“Can you clearly explain what you meant when you said that Vice President Jane Ansah could become President within two months?” police quizzed him. Once more, Namiwa gave nothing away, replying simply: “No comment.” The activist’s refusal to engage with investigators is likely to intensify scrutiny of the case, with questions now mounting over what evidence, if any, underpinned his string of high-profile claims — and whether his silence will work for or against him as the legal process continues.

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