The UTM Party has announced that it will conduct its own investigations into the plane crash that killed former Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima and eight others in Chikangawa Forest.
Party Director of Youth, Penjani Kalua, also known as Fredokiss, made the announcement during a candlelight memorial ceremony in Blantyre.
“I heard they are doing a probe into a plane crash, we will do ours next year in September,” Kalua said, in a statement that attracted applause from the crowd.
The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) is currently leading an independent investigation into the crash, which occurred on June 10, 2024, in Chikangawa Forest, Nkhata Bay.
The BFU has announced that it will release an interim report at the end of next month.
The UTM Party’s decision to conduct its own investigations suggests that they do not trust the current probe by the German firm hired by President Lazarus Chakwera’s government.
The plane crash occurred in Chikangawa Forest, killing all nine occupants on board.
The incident led to calls for an independent investigation, with many stakeholders, including Chilima’s family, expressing doubts about the government’s ability to conduct a transparent probe.
The UTM Party’s move is seen as a bid to ensure that the truth about the crash is revealed, and that those responsible are held accountable.
