| Malawi's president on Thursday accused his predecessor of complicity in a plot to assassinate him but said he was dropping all charges against the alleged conspirators and forgave them. Bingu wa Mutharika said the plot involved members of his own governing United Democratic Front, to which his predecessor Bakili Muluzi also belongs. Muluzi's spokesman Sam Mpasu said it was "an outrageous accusation," while ruling party spokesman Salule Masangwi accused wa Mutharika and his allies of a political witch hunt. Three senior ruling party officials were charged with treason Wednesday after they were accused of trying to bring handguns into a meeting with wa Mutharika earlier in the week aimed at resolving a deepening rift between the president and his party. Another official was charged Thursday after police found three knives in his vehicle. Wa Mutharika came to power in a turbulent May election marred by opposition allegations of vote-rigging that set off violent clashes in and around the capital of this impoverished southern African country. He has since angered members of his party by embarking on an anti-corruption drive, arresting senior members of Muluzi's administration. |