By Given Tamani
A Rwandan national, Cleophas Barajiginywa is allegedly using his political clout displayed through his proximity to ruling Malawi Congress Party(MCP) to block the Malawi Police Service(MPS) from arresting Munyenkwani Masopenya and Gentile Girimata who are allegedly master-minders in the mysterious death of a 31 year-old Lilongwe Based businessman Emmilie Halimana Noel.
Noel was killed on October 17, 2022 along the M1 at Northgate residential houses near Malawi Institute of Management(MIM) in Lilongwe.
Gentile Girimata is the ex-wife to Emmilie, while is a friend Masoyenya, according to page 10 of the preliminary report prepared and signed by Andrew Master Mwale senior forensic officer at the Kamuzu Central Hospital(KCH), the two are among the list of those connected to the death.
According to the sequence of events surrounding Emmilie’s death, the two played a pivotal role.
Masopenya was arrested and convicted in his home soil of Rwanda and escaped a jail term in connection with the 1994 genocide. He used a fake Burundian passport to benefit from the passport scandal that landed former Home Affairs Minister Uladi Mussa a jail term.
Of late, Cleophas has forced tongues wagging due to his closeness to President Lazarus Chakwera. On number of occasions, he has been spotted at the airport either seeing off or welcoming the President to the dismay of those who know him and his roots.
Cloephas, is using his influence to purportedly shield Grimata from facing the long arm of the law. He is reportedly, collecting huge sums of money from Masopenya and Grimata claiming to allegedly bribe MCP Members of Parliament to block an impending summoning of the Inspector General(IG) Merlyn Yolamu following a petition some concerned citizens presented to the National Assembly on Wednesday, 30 November 2022.
A few days before the peaceful demonstrations, Giramata through her lawyers, CTN Attorneys and Law Consultants has obtained an injunction declaring her late husband’s Area 2 shop a no go zone for the deceased’s relatives.
An order dated November 25, 2022 is one such futile attempt to block justice since the shop in question is according to divorce documents in her own name therefore her-in-laws have nothing to do with the same.
At this point it is very clear that the ex-wife and her friend Masophenya have found a shield in their ‘political heavy’ weight to ensure that justice is not served in a clear case of conspiracy to murder where till now the police have only arrested the driver who is on remand at Maula prison.
In an earlier interview from prison cells Raffiki implicated the ex-wife and Masopenya. Surprisingly, the driver, is on record fearing for his own life while on remand at Maula prison.
It is sad to report that these people are that powerful to an extent that Rafik is feeling insecure while in prison.
Giving the whole incident grey areas is the fact that the driver did not report the accident to the nearest police station at Kanengo. But the police instituted initial investigations that led to the driver’s arrest only to be released on bail without being charged.
When contacted Cleofas and Masopenya declined to comment on the allegations.
Meanwhile, the concerned citizens led by Wells Khama gave the Defense and security committee of parliament 7 days to summon Yomu to explain why the police besides shielding the suspects they have turned themselves into spokespersons for the suspects, warned for vigils at the parliament building.
