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New Malawi President Sacks Army Chiefs


Malawi's President Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party waves to supporters after he was sworn in in Blantyre, May 31, 2014.
Malawi's President Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party waves to supporters after he was sworn in in Blantyre, May 31, 2014.

New Malawian President Peter Mutharika fired his army chief on Wednesday without giving any reason for dismissing a commander instrumental in ensuring a smooth transfer of power after the death of Mutharika's brother in office in 2012.

A presidential statement said army chief General Henry Odillo and his deputy, Major-General John Msonthi, had been replaced. It gave no further details.

Odillo and Msonthi, both former diplomats, became embroiled in a constitutional crisis that blew up in April 2012 in the landlocked southern African nation after the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika.

Bingu was dead on arrival at a Lilongwe hospital after suffering a massive heart attack but his body was mysteriously flown to South Africa. The government did not announce his death for two days, stating that he was in a coma.

Power struggle

The delay led to fears of a power struggle between Bingu's brother and presumed successor Peter - then foreign minister - and Vice President Joyce Banda, who was constitutionally in line to take over but who had split from the ruling party.

Amid concerns as far away as Washington about a possible seizure of power, Banda quickly met Odillo, who responded by securing her residence with troops, and publicly declaring his support for her and the constitution.

Banda lost to Peter Mutharika in a chaotic May 20 election this year marred by logistical mess-ups and accusations of vote-rigging.

Malawi's top military command have also been implicated in a corruption scandal, known locally as “Cashgate,” in which tens of millions of dollars in public funds went missing last year.

British audit firm Baker Tilly found that the defense force had spent more than $10 million without any supporting documents.

Malawi relies on aid to cover about 40 percent of its budget and the Cashgate scandal resulted in some Western donors suspending assistance programs.

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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