Zikhale, Police still silent on Muhammad Kasiman abduction amidst allegations of a staggering K2bn ransom
After assuring Malawians to get to the bottom of the abduction scandal of involving 26-year-old British national Muhammad Kasiman on July 24th this year, Minister of Homeland Security Ken Zikhale Ng’oma and Malawi Police Service (MPS) are silent over what transpired, not even a single arrest made six weeks after the incident happened.
The deafening silence from Zikhale and Malawi Police is roaring amidst serious reports that Nyasatimes has gathered detailing that a ransom of K2 billion in cash exchanged hands among players involved to facilitate the safe release of Muhammad and the Police were strongly and strictly told to stay out of it.
Muhammad was dangerously abducted in the daylight, around 2pm, on 24th July around Falls Estate in Lilongwe and, in what looked like a well-scripted movie, released three days later, dumped at Kamphata in Lilongwe as well.
The Police, through Lilongwe spokesperson Hastings Chigalu, confirmed Muhammad being found after, of course, initially informing the public that the British national was abducted by unknown people. However, there has neither been a statement nor any arrest made since.
In fact, just after the abduction, Zikhale Ng’oma went public, gun blazing, saying: “As you know, this is not the first abduction involving the Asian Community. As Minister of Internal Security, it is my constitutional duty to ensure everyone living in Malawi is safe and secure.” Similarly, there has never been any information on the same from the Honourable Minister.
Now Malawians are wondering how safe and secure are they when daylight abductions are happening and Police appear to be on the sideshow. Even economic commentators are arguing the spates of these unexplained and unpunished abductions are denting the country’s image as an investment destination, thereby, affecting all the tireless efforts that President Lazarus Chakwera’s government is putting on economic recovery.
What happened?
Nyasatimes has gathered exclusive details relating to the shocking story of 26-year old business person, a British national of Indian descent, Mr. Muhammad Kasiman who was abducted around 2pm on his way back to the office from Falls Estate Mosque in Lilongwe on 24th July 2024 and found dumped on 27th July.
Our investigations reveal that his abduction, in a black Noah without number plate, stems from an illegal business gone sour between the Kasiman family and their hired contractor namely Nidal Mroue, a Malawian of Lebanese origin.
The Kasimans—involving brothers Riaz, Nizam and Yasin—are a powerful and extremely wealthy family that owns CP poultry, CP feeds, Universal Industries and CP properties. Nidal Mroue, on the other part, is also a rich businessperson with interest in construction industry.
Our highly placed source confided in us that the Kasimans hired Mroue, in 2019, to construct their new Universal Industries building in Malangalanga in Lilongwe where, after contracts signed, they successfully, through their connections, bypassed all laws and bylaws that govern the construction sector in the country.
“Because it was just the two, the project went on. By 2021, the project was hitting finale but the issue of non-payment of close to K1.2 billion emerged and they started fighting over it with the Kasimans accusing Mroue of bloating the figure. They started fighting and issuing threats to each other to the point where the Kasimans hired police officers as bodyguards,” said the source.
The source further told us that the issue went silent over the years only to resurface this year with an abduction of Muhammed who is a son of Nizam Kasiman and also a director at Universal Limited.
Police was informed
Nyasatimes understands that after Muhammed Kasiman was abducted, the Kasimans reported the matter to police and police, through Lilongwe Police spokesperson Hastings Chigalu, confirmed to the media on the matter.
However, according to our source, the Kasimans—with help from a senior Cabinet Minister—instructed the police to stay out of the investigations as they will do it on their own.
“The search for Muhammed began the same day of his abduction and the search party, comprising the Indian community, used a tracker to locate the IP that was switched off then. They managed to get the location of Muhammed’s Iphone around Dzaleka in Dowa and they found his Iphone at Dzaleka hill perched under a stone. However, they didn’t find Muhammed.” he said.
Muhammed, was abducted by ruffians that were using a black Nowa, however, was found on 27th July—which was the third day after the abduction—dumped at Kamphata in Lilongwe, about 100 kilometers from Dzaleka where the phone was found.
Surprisingly, Lilongwe Police spokesperson Hastings Chigalu confirmed that Muhammed has been found but refused to divulge details as to what had happened, insisting that ‘they will come back’.
Minister of Homeland Security Zikhale Ng’oma was also quoted in the media saying: “As you know, this is not the first abduction involving the Asian Community. As Minister of Internal Security, it is my constitutional duty to ensure everyone living in Malawi is safe and secure.”
Zikhale also corroborated with our investigations that the Muhammed’s IPhone was found dumped by the kidnappers, but since Muhammed was found on 27th July, the Minister has never updated the nation on the matter if arrests were made.
The question of K2 billion
Our investigations indicate that Muhammed Kasiman was abducted by a team of ruffians allegedly hired by contractor Nidal Mroue to force the Kasimans to pay the K1.2 billion they had been tussling since 2021.
Our source underlined that because of all the illegalities involved in that Universal Industries construction deal, neither of the two moved to have their matter settled either before registered debtor collectors, courts or Police for fear of reprisals both sides.
We have it also on record that Mroue was moved by a senior Cabinet Minister, name withheld, who hatched the abduction plan as part of forcing the Kasimans to quickly release money which they would share.
“Have it in mind that most Cabinet ministers, during this time, were busy looking for money for their campaign at the MCP convention. So this Cabinet Minister saw the opportunity, hatched the plan and made sure that police are not involved,” said our source.
Our source revealed that for Muhammed to be released, a ransom of K2 billion was paid by the Kasimans which was shared between Munroe and the Cabinet Minister eventually leading to the dumping of Muhammed at Kamphata.
Zikhale, Police silent
Our efforts to speak to Zikhale and Police spokesperson proved futile as their phones went unanswered. However, it must be put on record that Lilongwe police spokesperson, Chigalu, told the media on the 27th July, a day Muhammed was found, that Police will issue a statement. Zikhale, too, assured the public that he will get to the bottom of the matter.
Six weeks later: no arrest, no statement—just silence. Apparently, Muhammed is now back in UK.
Can Parliament help?
Meanwhile, Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has written the Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani requesting her to invoke her powers to commission a joint parliamentary committee to conduct a public inquiry that will help Malawians exercise their right to know what is happening with the country’s security system.
CCEDI also wants the joint committee—notably Trade and Industry committee, as well as the Defense and Security committee—to summon the current Inspector General (IG) of the MPS, Madam Merlyn Yolamu to explain to the nation on whether she is in control of the country’s security system, including giving an explanation on the apparent security breakdown in the country.
In a letter, dated 22nd August 2024, signed by CCEDI executive director Sylvestre Namiwa and duly received by Gotani’s personal assistant Grace Nyirenda, CCEDI says their concern has been sparked by government inaction on a recent case involving a 26-year old business person, a British national of Indian descent, Mr. Muhammad Kasiman who was abducted around 2pm on his way back to the office from Falls Estate (Area 1) Mosque in Lilongwe.
“The nation got an assurance from the Lilongwe Police that they were on top of things, only to be told later by the same police, that Mr. Kasiman was released on Saturday night, July 27, 2024 without further details and arrests,” he said, adding that almost a month down the line, there is no official statement from the Malawi Police Service (MPS) let alone the family nor the survivor.
Today, Malawians are living in fear, since abduction allegation remains a serious security concern globally, and to make matters worse this recent case involved a foreign national and a businessperson.
“Simply put, the deafening silence from the authorities is creating fear and panic among Malawians, over and above that it has the potential to scare potential and existing investors, thereby threatening attempts to recover the ailing economy and create the much needed jobs among the youth,” he said.
He also observes that, this far, one wonders if Malawi is a safer place to live in or let alone do business.
“Why do our police seem not interested in these serious security concerns? Is it a question of incompetence or utter negligence? Was ransom paid in all these cases? Are these cases a result of business deals gone sour?” he notes.
This is the fourth abduction case involving the Asian Community. A simple internet search will show that in 2021 we had two reported cases; Tariq Noorani and Faizal Aboo, while a 3year-old boy Aaraf Kapadia was also abducted in June 2022.
There hasn’t been any immediate reaction from the office of the Speaker.
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