Ex-spy chief defends laughing as Nyamilandu demands seriousness

Chaos erupted at the Commission of Inquiry into the Chikangawa plane crash after the chairperson was forced to publicly rebuke former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director General Dokani Ngwira for repeatedly laughing during his testimony — warning his reaction risked trivialising the tragedy that claimed nine lives.

Commission chairperson Walter Nyamilandu Manda hit out at Ngwira live on television, telling him bluntly that his giggling made serious questions appear insignificant, as the proceedings were broadcast and streamed live from Parliament in Lilongwe.

The awkward, tense exchange unfolded as Nyamilandu grilled Ngwira over sensitive security arrangements surrounding the offices of former President Lazarus Chakwera and former Vice-President Saulos Chilima — with Ngwira repeatedly smiling and laughing as he responded to pointed questions.

Unable to let it slide, Nyamilandu eventually cut him off mid-answer to demand he take the proceedings more seriously.

"When you laugh, it appears as if the questions we are asking are not important," Nyamilandu told him sternly.

Ngwira, seemingly unfazed, hit back: "So you want me to get angry?"

"No, but you need to be serious," Nyamilandu shot back.

The former spy chief was quick to defend himself, insisting his laughter was simply down to his personality rather than any disrespect towards the gravity of the inquiry.

"Those who know me know this is just my nature. This is how I am," Ngwira said.

Remarkably, the awkward scene wasn't confined to Ngwira's own testimony — Nyamilandu himself was seen laughing heavily in front of the cameras while delivering his closing remarks at the end of the evening session, immediately after retired Lieutenant General John Msonthi Jnr had finished giving evidence.

Beyond the tense theatrics, Ngwira's testimony delivered a series of striking revelations, telling the commission that while the NIS had deployed several officers to guard the residence and office of former President Chakwera, no NIS officers had ever been permanently assigned to the Office of the Vice-President.

He went further, claiming that although the intelligence agency was expected to coordinate closely with officials in Chilima's office on security matters, cooperation had proven extremely difficult due to apparent reluctance on their part.

"We were supposed to discuss with officials from the Office of the Vice-President, but they appeared reluctant to work with us. Their response was negative," Ngwira told the commission.

The bombshell testimony has thrust fresh scrutiny onto the security arrangements surrounding Chilima's office in the lead-up to the devastating military aircraft crash in Chikangawa Forest in June 2024, which claimed the lives of the former Vice-President and eight others.

The commission continues to investigate the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy, including flight operations, security protocols, communication failures and the emergency response that followed.