Parliamentary Ad hoc committee engages South African pathologist

Parliamentary Ad hoc Committee investigating the plane crash that killed vice-president Saulos Chilima and eight others has hired a South African pathologist to support the inquiry.

Committee chairperson Walter Nyamilandu said in an interview on Friday that the pathologist was expected to brief Parliament Secretariat and committee members yesterday and today on the methodology to be used during the investigation.

He said: “The pathologist has now been commissioned and all the agreements have been signed. The pathologist will be in the country next week, from Monday to Wednesday.

“He will meet the committee members and present his methodology. We are now moving into another critical phase of the inquiry.”

Nyamilandu also said that hearing testimony from the final two witnesses in the first phase of the inquiry, former National Intelligence Service director general Dokani Ngwira and retired Malawi Defence Force deputy commander of operations Lieutenant General John Msonthi Jnr, was essential because of the signif

icance of their evidence.

He said the second phase of the inquiry will begin on August 17 and will focus on technical experts before the committee proceeds to the final phase, which will examine the search and rescue operation.

During the first phase, the committee heard evidence from relatives of the nine victims, close associates, officials from the ministries of Transport and Public Works, Defence, Malawi Defence Force and several former senior government officials, including former Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba.

Before opening public hearings, the committee visited Kamuzu International Airport, where the Malawi Defence Force Dornier 228 aircraft (MAF T03) departed for Mzuzu on June 10 2024 before crashing at Nthungwa in Viphya Plantation, killing all nine on board.

Members also visited the crash site, Mzuzu Airport and Zomba Air Base, where they inspected the aircraft wreckage and observed operational procedures.

President Peter Mutharika ordered the fresh inquiry in February after Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Charles Mhango identified gaps in three previous investigations and recommended a new probe.