The Parliamentary adhoc committee which is conducting an inquiry into the June 10, 2024 plane crash that killed former vice-president Saulos Chilima and eight others have on Tuesday 19th May visited Viphya plantations in Nkhata Bay in their second day of its inquiry.
The committee started the probe with a visit to Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe on Monday where the Malawi Defense Force (MDF) Dornier aircraft took off on June 10 2024 for Mzuzu Airport. From Nthungwa Forest crash site the committee would proceed to command Centre at Raiply then Mzuzu Airport. The committee said in the coming days, they will also visit Zomba Air Wing where the debris of the airplane is being kept.
The Committee Chairperson Walter Nyamilandu Manda who is also Member of Parliament for Nsanje South West Constituency said that the aim of the visit was to appreciate the role different stakeholders played on the fateful day.
He also disclosed that the committee will conduct cross-examinations of potential witnesses, with forensic examinations to be conducted to determine the cause of death.
“We have authorised some forensic auditors to come do some reviews on several areas, one, the bodies, may be there could be some tests that were not conducted and also on healthy safety and environmental, professional aviation experts should also come and audit on how the process went, but also forensic auditors on criminal to do their review so that we should have a clear picture and understanding before we start interviewing the witnesses because we may get some new information that would help us get the answers that we need”, Manda said.
He reiterated the committee’s commitment towards ensuring that all facts with regard to the plane crash are established.
Among the team conducting the visits are Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga representing Malawi Police Service, the Secretary for Health Dr Dan Namarika representing Ministry of Health, officials from the Malawi Defense Force, Department of Civil Aviation, officials from the Fire Department and Red Cross among others.
Previous investigations, including technical assessments, largely attributed the crash to adverse weather conditions and operational factors.
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